Visceral Histories, Visual Arguments is a research project that explores using immersive technologies to study dance history. As creative technologist, this project saw me creating immersive movement data visualisations of dance histories that explored how movement from two strands of Dunham Technique is transmitted over time through generations of dancers. The project was an interdisciplinary collaboration between dance-based researchers from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Ohio State University, Master Dunham Technique Teachers and myself. Developed to be experienced in a Meta Quest 3 VR headset, the visualisations explored themes of layering, working with motion capture data, archival footage and interviews and the concept of generational networks and networks within dancers bodies and movements.

Read the full blog post here: Visualising Dance History in 3D Motion Data Blog Post

Another strand of the research we did on this project was a deep look into 3D pose estimation, an AI based modelling task that estimates the 3D position and orientation of a body in space based on its 2D projection in an image or video. I surveyed some of the many packages that I explored in relation to historical footage of Dunham technique with a view to assess it's suitability for dance-based work.

Read about it here: 3D Pose Estimation for Archival Dance Footage Blog Post



Credits:

Library of Congress Historical Footage:

  • Katherine Dunham on Dunham Technique. Video. Katherine Dunham, teacher; demonstrated by Rachel Tavernier.
  • Dunham Technique: Fall and recovery with body roll. Video. Rachel Tavernier, teacher; demonstrated by Yasmine Lee with Adrienne Armstrong, Corey Baker, Yasmine Lee, Samuel Gerard LeSane, Nicole Chantal de Weever, and Keith Tyrone Williams. Mor Thiam and William Cepeda, drummers. Recorded in New York in October 2001.
  • Dunham Technique: Dunham walk—slow. Video. Rachel Tavernier, teacher; demonstrated by Yasmine Lee with Dara Adler, Corey Baker, Samuel Gerard LeSane, and Nicole Chantal de Weever. Mor Thiam and William Cepeda, drummers. Recorded in New York in May 2003.

Motion Capture Session Data and Additional Film:

  • Featuring Rachel Tavernier, Master Dunham Technique Teacher with Celia Benvenutti, Certified Dunham Technique Teacher (demonstrator). Filmed at Motion Lab, The Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design, The Ohio State University, In collaboration with the Visceral Histories, Visual Arguments: Dance-Based Approaches to Data research project led by Kate Elswit and Harmony Bench. With Senior Creative Technologist Vita Berezina-Blackburn, Interdisciplinary Production Manager Lexi Clark-Stilianos, and Technical Support William Wuan. Columbus, January 27, 2023.

Oral History Interview Recordings and Data:

  • Researchers: Harmony Bench, Kate Elswit, and Tia-Monique Uzor for VHVA.
  • Community Facilitators: Penny Godboldo, Rachel Tavernier, Patricia Wilson.
  • Interviewees: Jamila Ajanaku, Celia Benvenutti, Janiece Blunt, Penny Godboldo, Halifu Osumare, Albirda Rose, Jeanne Speier, Rachel Tavernier, Keith Williams, Patricia Wilson.