DANCE ANIMAL

DANCE ANIMAL

Dance animal is the first comedic dance troupe in the world and won the 2009 Just for laughs best comedic act. This show was incredible, the show consisted of 10 cast members which each had their own monologue on how they came to be part of dance animal. The cast members each adopted their own animal which the head leader “dance tiger” would declare for them. Names such as dance salmon and dance ladybug to name a few. These animals have been chosen and reflected in the individual monologues. In between each monologue is a choreographed pieces which are not necessarily connected to the monologues but are amazing all the same. Not all the cast are professional dancers but this adds to the hilarity because some of them are quite awkward. I particular enjoyed dance salmon because of his tall awkward stature his movement just didn’t make sense and was kind of painful to watch at time but it was done in a way which still mashed well with the rest of the troupe. The plot of the piece is a collection of people who were just not fitting in with the world around them. They were not comfortable in their own skin and had some sort of dissatisfaction with their life. Until they are met by the dance tiger who introduces them to the world of dance and freedom from their lives.

Dance animal has been shown at many festivals around in and around Montreal. The head of the comedic dance troupe is Robin Henderson who is the brain and choreographer behind the show. Each cast member is involved with some area of the performance weather it is the writing or production. IN the show you can tell the cast is extremely involved in the piece and is a successful collaboration.

Final Project

The video above didn't quite load properly but clicking will bring you to youtube which has the correct version

Project Proposal

Courtney Clarke
Courtney_clarke919@hotmail.com

H.E.M.D- Heart, Evoke, Movement, Dance

In my final project I will be looking at movement through dance. In contemporary dance the body tests it boundaries and extremities, and allows the dancer to move in a way which allows them to explore what their body is capable of. I myself being a contemporary dancer, have lately been paying close attention to what sort of areas in my body which are most relevant to me, and which areas I can push in interesting ways. In this study of my body I have become most intrigued with the elbow, hips and shoulder. These areas I feel can create unusual shapes in space and along the body, and through this project I would like these movements to harness power and light the garment. The lights will be located on the left side of the garment close to the heart, I choose this location to represent a personal attachment to dance and this way of expression. I myself use dance as a way to express myself and allows me to feel empowered and at the same time an emotional protection. The garment will be a type of full body suit which will exaggerate the sections of the body I'm particularly interested in. This will allow visually a distortion of the body which is essentially what is trying to be done when performing. Contorting the body in an elegant and beautiful way is something i want to focus on. Inside these exaggerated forms i will integrate the mechanical aspects of the suit which will allow for the powering of the LED’s. I don’t want these aspects to be viewed and I'm hoping that if they are integrated into these forms they will not irritate the user. Comfort will be an important aspect of the project, because to fully examine movement you must be comfortable and free to move. Therefore I must make sure the exaggerated areas do not hinder what the dancer can do. The interaction scenario will consist of the dancer dancing in the suit. The more the they move the brighter the lights will become, the harder they train the more connected they will become with the shapes they make in space. The light will refer to their personal enjoyment to dancing and making these shapes with your body.

Materials

The fabrics I would like to use in this project is a type of fabric close in nature to Luon which is a fabric that is best used for high performance clothing. The fabric responds well to sweat and is stretchy in every direction which will allow the dancer to move freely. The fabric is very durable and relatively thick.
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The interior exaggerated sections of the garment will be done with plastic ties which can be found at any hardware store. I used this material in the previous project and it quite successfully produced a rigid support for creating exterior forms but is also very flexible and strong. The LED’s I plan on using will be red because of the connection I'm trying to make between the heart. I will need to find a pattern for the body suit then make my own adjustments to the pattern later.

In completing this project i will need a lot of guidance in creating a flow in which all these power sources can link to my LED’s and integrating it into the fabric. As I mentioned before I will need to find a body suit pattern then do some of my own variations to change the shape to what i would like. I’ll need to research in what type of stitch I should use with the 4-way stretch fabric.

Inspiration

A dancer that really inspires me. I love his movement and I feel the way he dances really captures what I'm trying to portray.

Dancer: Chaz Buzan
Choreography: Tokyo
Studio: Breaking Down , New York City, New York

Sketches







My Second Skin

In the reading Skin Surface substance and Design the author is revealing the various ways to look at skin and the many forms it can take in our lives. Skin is generally seen as a transparent fairly strong substance that is found not only on a human but is incorporated in every day design. Skin in my opinion is a layer in which protects the interior “ guts” to not be damaged and preserve its mechanics. It can be seen as something beautiful but contains a memory of all that has interacted with it. Your own skin contains a memory of everything that you have encountered throughout your life. Scars, freckles and wrinkles all produce their own story of what you have encountered in your life. Objects also have this type of memory on their skins. These synthetic skins receive a type of memory which keeps evidence of scratches and dents which can be linked to the type of scaring we experience. Today I feel that society is trying to remove this memory from their skins but using cosmetics and synthetic materials to erase the evidence of the past. Collagen and reproduction of skin in test tubes and other scientific methods is transforming our skins into something that is more like a reptile. Like a snake we are shedding our previous memories and growing or surgically adding new skin to start fresh again.

sketches Before In class conslutation



In progress Final Piece

Project Two Research

Research Presentation
Dart 339-Project Two
Courtney Clarke
Courtney_Clarke919@hotmail.com

Looking at mobile solar power: Solar power is a good solution to sustainable energy but in my research I discovered that maybe its no the most effective power source to use in clothing because of its bulkiness and to allow the solar panels to work to their full capacity you must have a lot of surface area and the human body doesn’t necessarily allow for that. I did however find some examples of solar power clothing but i don’t necessarily like the aesthetic, and i still fee like it is quite bulky and kinda ugly.



The second piece I looked at was a piece made by Jeannine Han and Dan Riley. This suit uses sensors similar to ipod technology and depending where you touch the suit it creates a variation of noises. These noises are infinite from the sound of piano keys to more robotic sounds. The designers decided to use a more organic look to the piece and the sensors are placed in every inch of the suit.




The starlight skirt by Shannon Henry is a evening gown which incorporates fiber optics in a wrap tule skirt. When the wearer spins the lights on the dress light up in different colours controlled by a Lily Pad which is placed in the center of the garment. This project is very close to what I'm thinking of doing cause I would like to play with movement which controls the brightness and intensity of my piece.


* All above examples are from TAlk2myshrit.com

The next very interesting discovery i made was with Nancy Tilbury explorations in a more biological approach to wearable art. In her pieces she explores gas a a form of clothing, and programable pieces. The cloud dress for example uses gas to cover the body and creates a series of delicate forms. These ideas are more conceptual but I think its important to look at these pieces therefore you can take you tangible piece further, then just a bolt of fabric.

Digital Skins Body Atmospheres from Nancy Tilbury on Vimeo.

http://www.electricfoxy.com/2010/03/nancy-tilbury-infuses-biological-experiences-into-couture/

Michael C. McAlpine of Princeton has developed the idea that even couch potatoes can generate power. In the New York Times article this scientist is looking how small movements in our body generate power, even breathing can emit at least one watt of power. Mr. McAlpine is attempting to harness this power with his small rubberized piezoelectric crystals which can divert this human power to re-usable energy. He hopes that this can eventually harness enough power to charge and continue charging an Mp3 player.



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02obribbon.html?hpw

Lucy McRae is a designer which i particularly like because I really enjoy how she uses the body as an architectural form. I enjoy how she expands the body to create new interesting shapes which are not necessarily comfortable for the wearer but are beautiful to look at. Her work inspires me to maybe stretch what the ideal human body should look like and distort that image to make a more interesting and provocative piece.



I decided to include this video because I still am not comfortable with circuits and i believe that watching these type of video can further help me in my project to create something successful

How To: Sew a Circuit on Fabric from Michael Ryan Moore on Vimeo.

The Soundie is a touch sensitive sweater which uses sound and light to demonstrate intimacy. Depending on how hard or soft you touch area the pitch and light of the sweater will change. This sweater demonstrates the ideas of intimacy and closeness we were exploring in class and how touch can effect the way an object reacts. I like the idea that the brightness or loudness of an object can change depending on how much you interact with it and I would very like the implement this idea in my project.




http://www.talk2myshirt.com/blog/archives/3814

The hug Shirt uses the popular idea of intimacy with loved ones by creating warmth and sensation of touch and caress but through a bluetooth technology. By calling a loved one anywhere around the world the bluetooth embedded in the cloth can sense the other persons body through sensors that measure heat, pressure and emotional feeling. I found this idea interesting that you could create your sensation anywhere around the world just by the dialing a number. It creates a whole new level of intimacy which goes beyond just a voice on a phone.



http://www.cutecircuit.com/products/wearables/thehugshirt/

Communicating Physical Memory

My project is looking at child's play and how children view the world. which relates to memory because some of my most vivid memories are from my childhood. My object is a hood skeleton which creates a doom around the child. When they jerk their body forward they are brought to a certain area of their imagination where they view the outside world through a series of different filters which brings them away from their reality. The hood holds the memory of the last exploration and keeps it stored till the next time they journey in the hood.

Hide and Seek Backpack

My project is looking back to my childhood and examining the way a child views the world and how it gets away from it. The backpack I created allows the child to escape the boring world and transport themselves to whatever they create or view in the backpack. LEDS will be placed inside to further enhance the effect of being taken to another world or a galaxy far away. The backpack will be a pod the covers the head and shoulders of the child so they are in complete darkness except for the LEDs that reference the galaxies. Once they are inside the pod backpack they are invisible to the outside world and can stay inside this dreamworld for as long as they like. Since the backpack is mobile and can be taken anywhere, the child can transport/ escape the world anywhere they choose. The pod when closed acts like a trigger to enter their imagination, and gives and child a sense of protection and concealment. To use the Hide and seek backpack the user wears it like any other regular backpack by placing the straps around his or her shoulders. The pod when not over the child’s head looks like a closed roof of a baby carriage with its series of wire semi- circles and folded crumpled fabric linking them together. When the child wants to enter their imaginary world and hide from the real world, they simply jerk their body forward which flips the dome over their head and initiates the LEDs to turn on. To the ones not wearing the pod it causes much curiosity, I choose the backpack format because it encourages other children either at school or in the play ground to try it as well and to have their own experience with the hide and seek backpack.

Interaction scenario

Child places Hide and Seek Backpack on
Wears the object throughout the day
Once they would like a break from the day, Jerk body forward to vortex themselves into their dream world inside the galaxy created in the pod
Once they have fulfilled their “imagination journey”, place the pod back in its closed position
Continue on their daily activities or pass on to a friend so they can experience their own imagination journey

Technical Sketches






This object enriches the life of its users by allowing them to enter whatever physical state they like, as of now I'm not sure how a child will react to the piece. Ideally though i hope that this object will bring the user to a place of wonder and imagination where they can expand their brain and develop story telling skills and explore their sub-conscious mind. I feel that todays society does not support imagination and is completely emerged in what is true and what is scientifically correct. Exploring ones imagination can expand the mind and help a child and even adult experience joy and happiness. As an only child myself i often had to create my own fun, I often created forts, hubs and spaces in my home that transported me into my imagination, this backpack will create this hub anywhere the child desires.

Maquetts



Testing out fabrics- Felt too thick, but i want a fabric that is opaque and relatively thick( possibly doubled) so the LEDs can be supported without sagging the fabric.

Technical Information

The object will be created out of fabric and a thick metal wire to create the supports for the dome structure. I would like to use a nylon taffeta ( fabric used in umbrellas) with some sort of acrylic coating therefore it can be water resistant. The liner would be a dark blackout fabric to enhance the feeling of the galaxy even in outside daylight. The metal wire would have to be light and fairly flexible but also have a certain amount of rigidity. The wire semi-circles would all threaded through a ring which is attached to the shoulder straps. The straps are reenforced with padding to ensure the backpack is comfortable to wear. The straps will either be done with the nylon or the liner fabric to save overall costs of the piece.
The fabric will be bought at the Fabricville near Place des Arts metro. As for the metal i will be speaking to a metal technician as what is the best type of metal to use and where to buy it. I will be fabricating the piece at the sensor lab using the sewing machines and technical advice on how to fasten the LEDs to my piece.

Research

I was very much inspired by the paper environment bag from the Fashion Technology blog

I also saw the way my little cousin interacted with this chair and how much she loved it

The chair is from a past children collection at IKEA

Textile memory map

Porcelain Doll


Barbie Clothing

Piece made Directly on the Doll with pins then sewn after





My memory map is based on the former memories of my childhood. I used the clothing from my barbies as my textile because attached to them are many memories of the way i used to play and how i interacted with my friends at the time. I modelled the clothing over one of my favourite porcelain dolls, which represents the fragility of children and something i treasured at a young age. This was one of my dolls but i never touched it or played with it not to ruin her. This doll compared to the over used clothing from my barbies creates an interesting contrast in my opinion.

Switch

The wall

A wall which changes colour to what you think, but the trick is that it will change to the opposite side of the colour wheel. Therefore you must train your brain to think of something opposite then what it wants... for example; if i would want my room to be red, i must think of the colour green.

The "Big Picture"

1

The first object i discovered was a pair of tweeting sneakers, that while you walk tweet your every step. The sneakers were developed by Ricardo Nascimento and Tiago Martins. They were making a statement about tweeting and the amount of useless coordinates people give at all times. While the user is walking literally every step is documented as a tap, or symbol, which introduces a neat idea of privacy and perhaps laziness because anyone can see that you havn't left or walked around for long periods of time.


http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/microblogging-sneakers-tweet

2

The second object is a fashion coat, which incorporates LED's. I was interested and intrigued by this piece because the piece is extremely wearable and i would see myself wearing this coat on a daily basis, compared to some other software fashions. The designer Wendy Legro, was playing with the way the light excentuated the shape of the coat and its various folds which i thought to be very beautiful and elegant. Before seeing this piece i never though of electronic fashion to be elegant.


http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/lit-in-between-the-folds

3

This piece incorporates many aspects and materials. It is an interactive piece in which the viewer when standing in front of it can see his/her own reflection. The piece is made up of 830 square pieces of wood, 830 servo motors, control electronics,video camera, computer and wood frame. The wood pieces flip to different shades to create mirror image of the viewer in front of them. The wood pieces change shades due to shadows cast by a light on the top of it, these shadows make a series of different colours. Each of these wooden squares is connected to its own tiny servomotor which is then linked to all the other pieces through a souped-up macintosh. The small camera that is placed in the center of the piece transfers the camera image to the wooden blocks and the separate servo motors for the different wooden cubes. The artist is exploring the line between digital and and natural using completely new computer technology and organic material (the pine wood). The viewer becomes the art depending on what they place in front of the camera. Daniel Rozin also included music to enhance the experience, the music is played on low volume but creates a serene environment around the piece.The sound of the wood squares while they move is also an interesting element, because the viewers movements also changes the sound from silence to a bustling array of clacking blocks. In the piece Daniel Rozin uses two sense components of sight and sound, depending on what they decided to do in front of the piece either standing still in front of it, or moving franticly.


http://www.smoothware.com/danny/woodenmirror.htm

4

The next piece is a door which unlocks using a watch and a code which is a series of taps. To unlock the door, you just tap in your favorite hymn or song and the door automatically unlocks. I find this a neat idea because i often loose my keys but if they are my watch then i'm not likely to loose them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqMbdQptdfw&feature=player_embedded

5

The last piece is a pair of interactive capes that produce sound loops when worn. Recording the movements of the wearer it created different levels of sound. The first cape is patch worked representing different cultures and when flapped with strong waving motion the music changes. The second cape is linked to the future, it is filled with tiny mirrors to aesthically show the future and is also installed with a microphone that records sound bits every 15 seconds. These pieces are done by the artist Ricardo Nascimento and Jader Scalzaretto who were inspired by The piece is inspired by “Parangolé” from the brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica and aims to recreate the artwork using technology as a new poetic layer.


http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blogs/interactive-sonic-capes

Examining 3 Objects

Objects found in my home that i use on a daily basis/ or enjoy.

1. A photograph in my room
This photo is on the north facing wall in my room, and it depicts a seated women in black and white. After reading the text it showed my how important this photograph is to me, because it isn't just a photograph of a seated figure but its that of my grandmother when she fist came on her on to montreal, and was giving to me when i moved here. I surrounded myself with this image to feel more comfortable in my new home and surround myself with objects which provide me with a sense of comfort.



A way in which this object could become magical is if would move around the image as if it were alive, this would provide my with more comfort because it wouldn't make the city as lonely because i would feel my grandmother with me at all times. ( Kind of like a skype type thing but i wouldn't be able to communicate with the figure only watch it interact with the space around it.)

2. A blanket
The blanket i own is green and fluffy and i often cuddle up to it while doing homework or watching television in my home. The blanket is relatively new and i received it as a christmas present while in florida visiting family. Whenever i use it, it brings me to laying outside on a frosty day laying in the sun reading my book, surrounded by my family which was also reading around me. This object bring me to an experience with my family and whenever i do use this blanket it reminds of this day.



A magical experience i could have with this blanket is it would provide this sense of being beside someone or trigger vivid memories. When you use the blanket and enjoy the experience your having with it you can press a button that takes an memory snapshot and keeps it into its memory, then later on you can choose which memory you would like to use and it synthetically brings you back to that time.

3. A chair
This chair i have in my room, its red fake suede and is relatively small and is perfect for my small space in my apartment. This chair is special to me because it was the first piece of furniture that i bought myself for my own apartment new from the store. For me this chair this chair represents independence and the begging of the rest of my life. The only problem with it is the colour is very vibrant ( which i love) but in the future when i buy my own house of decide that i may not love the colour anymore the chair is junk.



A which the piece would become more of a cradle to cradle piece would be if the fabric could change designs and colours with just the touch of a key pad. Custom made slip covers are very expensive and often slip off and don't really keep the tight lines of the chair and curves very well. The colour changes would happen in fabric itself and would be beneficial cause the fabric wouldn't fade and would not deteriorate either.