Wayne McGregor | Random Dance: Entity March 18, 2010

“Science, Technology and Dance,” a series at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago exploring the ways choreographers are working with new technologies and scientific ideas, concludes with The Dance Center’s presentation of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance.
Entity, McGregor’s new evening-length work, explores the links between artificial intelligence and choreography in a staggering blend of bodies, lights, technology and film. Technically astonishing, the uncompromising, hard-hitting piece, which breaks boundaries and defies categorization, is set to a soundscape created by two of the hottest new musical talents working today: Jon Hopkins and Joby Talbot. Talbot (The Divine Comedy, White Stripes) has written a propulsive string quartet pitched against the sonic extremes of Hopkins’ (Massive Attack, Coldplay) electronic melody.
McGregor developed a fascination with the “technology of the body” and, inspired by the connection between the mental and the physical, he began to explore the concept of non-verbal and kinesthetic intelligence. While researching Entity, he consulted with an international think tank of individuals working in cognitive science, including psychology, neurosciences, linguistics, human-computer interaction and robotics. He writes, “What was immediately engaging in our dynamic conversations across our different fields of expertise was a mutual interest in the relationship between this connection of the brain and the body…Could exploring the brains of dancers and choreographers bear insight into human movement that was scientifically meaningful, and could this research provoke new stimuli for choreography?”
As part of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance’s residency, there will be a post-performance discussion with the artists on Thursday, March 18, and McGregor will give a pre-performance talk on Friday, March 19 at 7 p.m., free to ticket holders. McGregor will lead a free “movementPROCESS” workshop exploring his methods for creating choreography Saturday, March 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dance Center. Random Associate Director Odette Hughes will lead a DanceMasters class Tuesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance was founded in 1992 and became the instrument upon which McGregor evolved his drastically fast and articulate choreographic style. The company became a byword for its radical approach to new technology—incorporating animation, digital film, 3D architecture, electronic sound and virtual dancers into the live choreography. Collaborations with leading multidisciplinary artists enriched the company’s futurist aesthetic and dramatically enlarged the possibilities of dance. In 2002, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance was invited to become Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells. Among the company’s groundbreaking projects have been webcasting live performances and exploring broadband (ATM) bi-directional performance where two companies perform simultaneously in different parts of the world. In 2003, McGregor was appointed Artist-in-Residence at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge. From this unique position, he and a select group of scientists conducted research into the relationship between dance and the mind, which has informed much of his subsequent work.

Official Website: http://colum.edu/dancecenter