MISSION STATEMENT

The fourth of the in all six ke∂ja encounters has the theme 'Dance and New Media'. The background for choosing this theme is a wish to explore where dance stands in relation to new media and technology today. Around ten years after a great wave of interest in dance and new media, what once was new, like live video - and audio projections, even motion capture, seems to have assimilated into mainstream dance. Today we see a multitude of ways to approach media and technology, from a conceptual and discursive dealing with contemporary media where no media technology is used, to technology based virtual dance. At the same time online communication tools have filtered into our daily lives, and consequently the way we inform ourselves, and others about what’s going on in dance.

What hasn’t changed much is the way we talk about dance in relation to the technology, newness, corporeality, content, and quality.  The term ‘new media’, although to be expected a term in flux, is often used in a very
general way. This mystifies more than it clarifies what is at stake in the specific work, or in the art form in general.
 
Has dance performance and choreography altered significantly as a consequence of exposure to new media technologies? In what way does this manifest itself? Has several decades of telematic art, and subsequent
experiments in virtual dance changed the way we consider the body in dance theory and practice? Do we see the outlines of a new art form with its own set of rules and aesthetics, or are new tools simply absorbed in existing forms? What will the future bring, and how do we stimulate dance, in itself an ancient form of cultural expression and communication, to reflect and investigate new media and contemporary culture in profound and interesting ways? Can dance reach new audiences through new media, and what does new technology have to offer in terms of researching, storing or archiving choreography for future generations?
 
These questions inspired the program for ke∂jaOslo.


Dance Information Norway

The encounter is organised by Danceinfo Norway in collaboration with several national institutions.
Contactpersons Ine Therese Berg and Randi Urdal.