ALEXANDER WHITLEY
CONTEMPORARY DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER
“… a group of dancers in a mind-blowing immersive journey towards the sun, courtesy of Alexander Whitley’s exploration of virtual reality, currently on show at The Mandrake…”
– Culture Whisper
Monday 27th June to Friday 1st July 2022
DANCING IN AUGMENTED REALITIES AT THE MANDRAKE
“The extraordinary ways in which the human body can exist in a purely digital form.”
From 27th June to 1st July 2022, internationally acclaimed London-based choreographer Alexander Whitley took up residence at The Mandrake to showcase his pioneering use of virtual and augmented reality. Visitors were offered a rare opportunity to experience his visually arresting and technologically innovative digital dance installations for screen and were able to watch him at work creating new choreography.
A Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate and former Associate of Rambert and The Royal Ballet, Alexander Whitley founded his eponymous company to bring together world-class artists, academic research, and technological ingenuity in the creation of ground-breaking productions for stage, screen, virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality.
PROGRAMME
All the installations of the exhibitions are free to view and experience for guests and visitors daily, on a walk-in basis.
– Screening of ‘Chaotic Body’ 1 & 2
– 360 Virtual reality installation
– Augmented Reality piece
– Screening of ‘Monster’
Apart from watching Alexander at work in the studio creating and motion-capturing new choreography, guests were also welcomed to experience a variety of installations throughout The Mandrake, such as:
More details on alexanderwhitley.com
The Mandrake
20-21 Newman Street
London, W1T 1PG
CHAOTIC BODY 1 – STRANGE ATTRACTOR
Sited throughout the hotel, each installation invited visitors to discover a unique digital performance space that explored the possibilities of how dance can be experienced and demonstrated the extraordinary ways in which the human body can exist in a purely digital form.
Upon entering The Mandrake, visitors were presented with two films made with digital artists Uncharted Limbo Creative, Chaotic Body 1: Strange Attractor and Chaotic Body 2: Liminal Phase, which were developed as result of Alexander’s ongoing fascination and exploration into the possibilities for dance afforded by advances in immersive digital technologies such as motion capture and games engine technology. Their specially commissioned scores from Grammy-nominated American composer Missy Mazzoli and Pakistani-American electronic musician and composer Qasim Naqvi, accompany the films and are played through a 3D speaker system.
Visitors were also invited to view the augmented reality (AR) version of Chaotic Body 2. Using iPads and wearing headphones users got up close and moved around the digital dancers to explore their work in an entrancing new way.
In Studio 5 (or the mezzanine terrace) visitors were invited to don a VR headset and take a breath-taking and thrilling journey towards the sun, joined by a virtual cast of world-class dancers. An interactive VR experience, Celestial Motion II immerses users in a dazzling cosmic virtual landscape inspired by the dynamic world of solar physics, with a special introduction by celebrated scientist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili.
CHAOTIC BODY 2 – LIMINAL PHASE
“The films and experiences presented in this exhibition are reflective of a wider enquiry into the transformative power of dance beyond the confines of seated venues and the emerging creative possibilities afforded by interactive and immersive technologies which are radically changing how dance can be created and experienced. I’m passionate about what this means for audience agency and participation in movement-based experiences, which can be enjoyed without much need to understand the language of dance, bringing new audiences to the art form,” said Alexander Whitley. The installation was available to view and experience by guests and visitors on a walk-in basis from Monday 27th June to Friday 1st July at The Mandrake.