"One of the highlights of the evening was the extraordinary Richard James Allen's 'Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep'. It combined both computer generated imagery and on stage performance in a terrific blended world where they interact and the boundaries are blurred. It begins with computer work but then curly haired, lion - like Allen catapults suited but barefoot onto the stage. At times the choreography for the rather large cast was quite sculptural and there were some spectacular solos for Allen. More please!"
Tuesday March 10th through the Saturday March14th, 8 pm and Saturday March 14th matinee, 4 pm Seymour Centre, corner Cleveland St and City Road, Chippendale Bookings: Purchase tickets from the Seymour Centre 02 9351 7940 Or at http://www.shortandsweet.org
Second Life* Avatars dance with Real Life performers
in Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep?,
an exploration of choreography
moving across a virtual world and the real one.
"By directing the inner light we can see what is subtle, hidden from view or far away."
Patajali, Yoga Sutra*
"Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep?"is a new mixed reality dance piece
which explores the idea of insights into possible parallel universes or spirit worlds.
Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep? has been developed through a collaboration between the artists of The Physical TV Company (Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman) and MUVEDesign (Gary Hayes) on a research project** supported by Critical Path, Ausdance NSW and The Australia Council for the Arts. The research: to explore the possibilities of dance in “two realities”. The images and dance move seamlessly between the consciousnesses of a live dancing man and a virtual one, stretching the capacities of dance to present extraordinary humans (dancers) shaping time, space and energy in this world and another.
In Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep?
a busy dancing man takes a nap in two realities.
His live self dreams and his avatar self dreams.
Neither reality is quite so simple when they wake.
*Second Life is an online virtual world, where you can move an avatar, which you design and dress yourself, through ‘in-world’ 3D spaces, interacting in real time with the architecture, the “nature” and other online avatars. Visit www.thursdaysfictions.com for a quick link into another Physical TV Company/Gary Hayes production Thursday’s Fictions in Second Life and a chance to explore the virtual world
** Click here for more information on the Critical Path Mixed Reality Performance Research Project.
CREDITS Do Avatars Dream of Human Sleep?
Choreographer and Director: Richard James Allen
Second Life Artist and Animateur: Gary Hayes
Dramaturge and Editor: Karen Pearlman
Concept Development: Karen Pearlman, Gary Hayes, Richard James Allen
Second Life Found Settings by: Adam Nash/Ramona, NBC Island,
* translation from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Alistair Shearer
NEXT PHASE OF THIS MIXED REALITY RESEARCH
Artistic Directors of The Physical TV Company, Richard James Allen and Karen Pearlman, will present a work-in-progress screening of the next phase of this mixed reality latest research at Dance Shed in Sydney on June 14, 2009.
 The Physical TV Company.JPG)
