DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14236/ewic/eva2014.

10
Animating dance and dancing with animation: a retrospective of forever falling nowhere
Clare Brennan & Lynn Parker

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Experimental animation and contemporary dance share a number of concepts, including the
abstraction of ideas and themes, seeking to communicate with an audience through movement,
syncopation, shape, and rhythm. Within this paper the authors investigate communication through
movement within these two forms, firstly through discussion of professional experimental
animation and dance performances and secondly through specific analysis of the digital dance
performance Forever Falling Nowhere. The paper documents discussion with the choreographer,
dancer, animator and the audience, seeking to examine the connection between the concept of the
piece, the use of movement to imply meaning from the point of view of each of the creators and the
audiences' perception. The paper will conclude by reflecting upon the importance of interpretation
within experimental works asking if Norman McLaren's definition of animation can be used to draw
deeper meaning from digital performances.
Experimental animation. Contemporary dance. Hybrid digital performance. Abstraction.

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Animating dance and dancing with animation: a retrospective of forever falling nowhere
Clare Brennan & Lynn Parker


Figure 1: Photographs from the performance Forever Falling Nowhere (2013). On the left is an image of the dancer
interacting with the digital doubles in Chapter two and on the right is a tender moment from chapter four. Images courtesy of
Robyn Mayer, 2013

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Figure 2: Forever Falling Nowhere (2013) fused interdisciplinary practices of dance, animation and music to create a total
experience. The image on the left is the collaboration in process and on the right is a still image from the animation for
chapter four. Images courtesy of Lynn Parker, 2013


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5. REFERENCES
$FRFHOOD-A Very Late Romantic: Isadora
Duncan.
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,QGLDQDSROLV
'DO\$Done into Dance: Isadora Duncan
in America.:HVOH\DQ8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV0LGGOHWRZQ
'D\H $  Keeping Alive the Wonder:
Primitive Mysteries, New York 1931 to London
2009 'DQFH &KURQLFOH   $YDLODEOH IURP
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'L[RQ 6  Digital Performance 0,7 3UHVV
&DPEULGJH



Animating dance and dancing with animation: a retrospective of forever falling nowhere
Clare Brennan & Lynn Parker

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into Dance: Isadora Duncan in America. :HVOH\DQ
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Animation: Notes on a Definition. ,Q 6RORPRQ &
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Art of Dance 1HZ <RUN 3XEOLF /LEUDU\ $YDLODEOH
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