Imagine navigating the distance between thought and movement. Consider the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of neuroscience. Suppose the neurological workings of the human brain could be externally stimulated for total recall. These are the inspired ponderings behind a contemporary ballet titled “Step the Brain Along a Path.”
The world premiere of this intricately crafted collaboration was created by New York based choreographer Troy Schumacher with the dancers of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre. Performances take place Sept. 9 and 11 at the Ferst Center for the Arts, aptly situated on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus. Tickets are available here.
Credit: Felipe Barral
Credit: Felipe Barral
Three years from concept to fruition — the work took longer than anticipated because of the pandemic — “Step the Brain Along a Path” is a consummate example of science speaking through art and vice versa. Bolstered by an impressive complement of scientists and engineers from Georgia Tech, an equally provocative host of creative contributors worked to assemble an innovative evening of dance.
As the mighty oak grows from a tiny acorn, so the left- and right-brained team behind “Step the Brain” proposes a similar proverb: From a neurological impulse funneled through next-wave technology, science can change the way humans operate, and how they think.
Credit: Felipe Barral
Credit: Felipe Barral
Enter the question of ethics.
Before each performance, the team will give the audience a survey focused on the possibilities and perils of just such an intervention. As viewers settle into the work, new-media artist Sergio Mora-Diaz, based in Santiago, Chile, will synthesize survey responses in real time, producing an evocative backdrop.
The influx of information shifts the visual offerings, revealing a swift, digital glimpse into the varied schools of thought lurking within arm’s reach. “It’s all very meta,” says Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre Artistic Director John Welker. This element would be fascinating enough, but it is only one point of entry into “Step the Brain.”
Theater lovers will be introduced to varied characters who might be portraying impulses. Or are they neurons? Or interveners? For devotees of movement for movement’s sake, there will be vibrant, highly physical dancing — an opportunity to experience ballet without its traditional companions of love, loss, fate and romance.
Welker and Schumacher each suggest that the audience doesn’t need to be familiar with any of the complex machinations of science and artificial intelligence to glean a worthwhile experience. “This work will speak to anyone who interfaces with a computer,” says Schumacher.
Moreover, Schumacher declared that his desire to use art as a catalyst for communal understanding of complex principles inside binary worlds was heightened.
Welker, a champion for what Schumacher is creating, says the work is not a lecture, but rather an opportunity for audiences to encounter new ideas framed with a specific artistic aesthetic. “In any collaboration, there are surprises that are part of my joy for discovery,” Welker states in a press release, “but this particular process has made me so much more aware and appreciative of the intimate connection between our minds’ intention and how that is carried out through the movement of our bodies.”
Schumacher admits he was perhaps overstimulated by the bevy of ideas that emerged through fruitful conversations and productive time in the studio, not to mention the rare luxury of time afforded him by the virus. The sheer volume of critical information sent the choreographer down many stimulating pathways, each intriguing, each replete with possibility for the team. The sparkle in his eyes as he described the process of decoding and narrowing ideas suggested that any choice he made would yield a satisfying, if daunting project.
This brand of dynamic exchange would not be possible were it not for Georgia Tech Director of the Arts Aaron Shackelford. In 2019, he succeeded former director Madison Cario, who advanced the Ferst Center’s arts programming by expanding the intersection of technology and art making.
Without missing a step, Shackelford made this unique mission a high priority as a way to further develop innovation. Case in point: The “Step the Brain” ensemble was invited to present a first-look performance in the summer of 2021 on Shackelford’s outdoor Skyline Series. This “frightening, no, terrifying opportunity was a glimpse into what the work could become with more patience and less planning,” stated Schumacher.
As the process moved forward, Schumacher was overcome with the respect he felt from the academicians, moving him to embrace the spontaneous whims and bursts of ingenuity among his scientific collaborators. This safety net of support altered Schumacher’s approach to working in the studio.
He prepared less, listened more and opened the channels to his own intuition — in this case, without the use of artificial intelligence. It bears repeating: “It’s all very meta.”
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
