Projects
Light Up
Light Up
Can tech free us from our insecurities and help us to be playful? How do we experience dance when it is not for an audience? Using AR body tracking technology, participants of any background will be invited to learn a dance routine.
They will perform to themselves instead of an audience. Interviews on their experience from a before, during and after perspective will capture the arc of each experience.
The goal is to highlight somatic effect of dance, such as empowerment through burlesque, and to challenge our assumptions around 'erotic' or feminine art forms. Light Up illuminates the opportunity to dance for those who wouldn't normally step forward. Using AR technology to mirror a dancer's reflection onto a digital wall or panel, participants will experience the somatic benefits of dance without the pressure to perform to an audience or the assumed 'male gaze'. It also challenges us to question our own beliefs around dance forms.
Explore
£5,000
Can wearable, immersive tech make dance accessible to those who face barriers to participate?
Aims of the project
Light Up prioritises the somatic experience of dance and gives performers the opportunity to learn and develop a routine that expresses their individuality, whilst also capturing the arc of this journey through short interviews and reflections.
What preconceptions do we have around erotic art forms such as burlesque?
Echoing Judith Butler, can we use dance to explore the concept of gender?
Can technology free us from our own insecurities and allow us to be playful or learn new things?
Can technology free women and minority groups from the judgement of the male gaze, so that they can express themselves creatively?
Meet the artists
Emily Cook
Producer
she/her
Emily is a Bristol-based queer writer, researcher, tech worker and neo-burlesque dancer with a focus on how creativity promotes community building and affirms individual identity. After working abroad for half a decade in another language, Emily understands the joys and challenges of authentic communication in unfamiliar environments and believes that authenticity can be derived through many mediums, such as language, music, dance. A German and English-language writer and budding neo-burlesque dancer, Emily is an advocate for constant learning as well as questioning the expected.
Steph Haines
Producer
she/her
Steph’s passion for dance began at the age of 6, where she built a foundation in Ballroom, Latin, and Contemporary. For the past 12 years, Steph’s performed professionally across the UK, spanning vintage styles like Jive and Charleston to modern freestyle at festivals. She also spent years as a commercial-street instructor, finding immense joy in choreographing routines and sharing her passion with my adult students.
Ivy Rose
Choreographer
she/her
Ivy Rose is a choreographer, teacher, and burlesque performer. As a neurodivergent survivor of sexual assault, she brings a deeply compassionate and empowering perspective to her work. Through movement, sensuality, and wellbeing practices, Ivy helps others reconnect with their bodies and express themselves with confidence, love, and flair. A true pocket rocket, she channels her passion for dance and healing into creating spaces where people can move, grow, and celebrate themselves.
