Emotions in Man - an interactive dance

Abstract

Emotions in Man is an interactive dance dvd. The viewer decides during the piece, which emotions to give to the dancer and in so doing defines how the choreography evolves.

There are five possible emotions to choose from - love, anger, fear, joy and sorrow - and five increasing levels of intensity for each emotion. The piece ends when a viewer reaches the fifth and ultimate level of intensity in a certain emotion. Likewise the piece ends if the viewer fails to select an emotion for the dancer within a given period of time.

The dance and choreography are by Jyrki Karttunen and the music by Anna-Kaisa Liedes.

In the first part of my written thesis, I examine the specific nature of interactive art and contemporary dance, the use of movement as material for an audiovisual production and some categorizations of emotions. I also advocate looking for alternatives to traditional plot-based narrative in interactive art.

The second part of my written thesis is an analysis of the production process of Emotions in Man. It clarifies many of the artistic and practical decisions made during the production. This part also aims at being a practical guide to anyone interested in producing an interactive work of art.