Virtual dance exchange pushes boundaries of movement through VR technology
For choreographer Shana Simmons and her dance company, the COVID-19 shutdown was a fork in the road: Do they adapt and keep creating work — even if it’s not performed in person — or do they take a break?
“We made the decision [to consider] how can we redo this,” she said.
The result was a couple dance-for-film series that partnered dancers with public works of art across Pittsburgh and was showcased on YouTube.
“I think in a lot of ways what we do as movement artists translates well into film,” she said.Those projects got her thinking about the power of technology to make the arts accessible to more people outside of a traditional theatrical venue. Those reflections were the catalyst for her latest endeavor, “The Virtual Dance Exchange Project.” Made possible by a grant from the Arts Equity Reimagined Fund, the project is a collaboration between Simmons, fellow Pittsburgh-based choreographer Chrisala Brown and Bianca Johnson & Dancers of New York City. They teamed with XRconnectED in Pittsburgh to produce and present three site-specific works filmed in a 360-degree format to create an immersive experience for viewers.
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