1 William Forsythe

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William ForsytheImprovisation Technologies


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About William Forsythe and how he likes to thinkabout dance.

Introduction to Improvisation Technologies - A Toolfor the analytical Dance Eye (CD-ROM)

Dance Geometry (Conversation between W.Forsythe (choreographer) and Paul Kaiser (digitalartist)

About algorithms and key frames and their analogiesin dance.

Creative task.


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Ballet is a geometric inscriptive artform.

(William Forsythe)


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Forsythes choreography is grounded in adeconstructive reconsideration of the

possibilities of classical ballet structures[].

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Forsythe_(dancer)


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http://www.youtube.com/user/GrandpaSafari
http://www.youtube.com/user/GrandpaSafarihttp://www.youtube.com/user/GrandpaSafarihttp://www.youtube.com/user/GrandpaSafarihttp://www.youtube.com/user/GrandpaSafari


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My own dances reflect the bodysexperience in space, which I try toconnect through algorithms. So there isthis fascinating overlap with computerprogramming.

Retrieved from Dance Geometry (Forsythe)

http://openendedgroup.com/index.php/publications/conversations/forsythe/


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In mathematics, computing, and relatedsubjects, an algorithm is an effectivemethod for solving a problem using a

finite sequence of instructions [...] Eachalgorithm is a list of well-definedinstructions for completing a task.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithm


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I start the idea. I am the initiator. I believe thatsomething could emerge from these conditions. Iname the conditions, basically the algorithm tomake the choreography, we then work on theseinstructions, and these instructions then give a

kind of result, and we discuss that and from that Ihave to keep deriving other conditions, variationson these results, until we arrive at something thatis agreed upon.

Retrieved from The John Tusa Interviewshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/johntusainterview/forsythe_transcript.shtml


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Akeyframeinanimationandfilmmakingis a

drawing that defines the starting and endingpoints of anysmooth transition. [...]In computer animation this workflow is basicallythe same. The animator creates the important

frames of a sequence, then the software fills inthe gap. [...] The animator can correct the resultat any point, shifting key frames back and forth toimprove the timing and dynamics of a movement,

or change an 'in between' into an additional keyframe to further refine the movement.

Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_frame


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animator - choreographer

frame - e.g. dance positionsoftware (algorithm) - dancer (set

of choreographic instructions)


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The choreographer creates the importantpositions of a sequence, then the dancer fills inthe gap. (obviously a dancer who has a set ofinstructions to do so, just like a software uses analgorithm)The choreographer can correct the result at anypoint, shifting positions back and forth (in time) toimprove the timing and dynamics of a movement,or change an 'in between' into an additional

position to further refine the movement.


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key frame X or starting point (e.g.dance position) at the beginning ofthe choreography

key frame Z or ending point at theend of the choreography

algorithm or a set of clearinstructions or operations thatdefine how the dancer gets from Xto Z


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When you get to frame X

a) hide this image (1st layer of instructions)

b) also stop and play this movie (2nd layer ofinstructions) and

c) activate the photo button (3rd layer of

instructions)


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When you get to position X in your choreography

a) hide e.g. your arm (1st layer of instructions)

b) also stop and dance phrase B (2nd layer ofinstructions) and

c) activate another dancer to be ready to execute

the next choreographic image (3rd layer ofinstructions)


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http://www.kristinmcguire.com
http://www.kristinmcguire.com/http://www.kristinmcguire.com/http://www.kristinmcguire.com/


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Hypothetical Stream was originally made for DanielLarrieu and his company in Tours. He wanted a ballet and I

said I cant come Ill fax it to you. So I took a series ofsketches from Tiepolo and I drew any number of vectors

emanating from these knots of suspended figures, all flyingin the clouds, all very knotted, very baroque, and I drew anumber of vectors and said these are knots and these

need to be solved or unknotted. The lines that I drew werehypothetical solutions. [] the figures in the drawings are

all numbered. Your number would be shown, Joan asNumber 1 and John as Number 2 etc., and they received

instructions on how to construct this ballet and I have done

it in three different places, and each one is drasticallydifferent and people solved it themselves.

Retrieved from The John Tusa Interviewshttp://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/johntusainterview/forsythe_transcript.shtml


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Develop a choreographic algorithm, a set ofinstructions or a score from which dancers

could create/improvise a 5 min dance piece.

Documents

1 William Forsythe