A pulse line

Top Team Touring Contact

Overview Concept Narrative Performance

Arrow down

We believe that Digital Umbilical is a poetic-technologic experience.

By ‘listening’ to and sharing our bio data we are confronted with our human dimension. Reconnecting through our heartbeat and breath, we realize our ephemeral and unique presence in that very moment.

Two dancers leaning against eachother
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW
  • OVERVIEW

Digital Umbilical is a dance performance exploring organic connection between individuals (dancer and audience member), and its amplification through the use of technology.

Inspired by factors of intimacy: proximity, warmth, sensing the pulse of each other, quietness: we aim at creating a shared experience which is unique to the moment. Our strongest reference is the womb: a place of deep and intimacy with another human being, surrounding us in sound , low vibration and soft light, a place of interdependent living.

Repurposing technological tools of bio-data control and measurement, Digital Umbilical wants to reclaim the poetic, rhythmic and creative aspect of bio-rhythms and body cycles, enabling audiences to reconnect to their bodies as spectators as well as participants.

At a time where we are rising political division along simplified categorizations and artificial boundaries amongst humans, we believe it is critical to get audiences and participants to reconnect to the universality of our body , and an experience we have all shared as human beings.

Arduino on body
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT
  • CONCEPT

We are creating a responsive interactive system where bio-data from both audience members and performers are fedback in real time and impact the soundscape and lighting environment. Audience can at times hear their own heartbeat as well as the performer’s live breath.

The performer’s behavior, his movement pattern and the atmosphere of the shared space (soundscape, lighting) adapt in real time to facilitate a climate of trust propice for an intimate encounter (soft, poetic, narrowing perception to one element)

This gives audiences a unique experience of dance and a rare insight into their own uncontrollable physiological reactions.

Circle visualization
Two dancers
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE
  • NARRATIVE

The heartbeat is widely used as a poetic representation of life and love due in part to this facility for translation and the universal recognition of the rythmic sound we first hear in the womb, our mother’s heart.

Both heartbeat and breath are a representation of our finity as humans: they are vital signs of us being alive. We do not control it yet it is constantly catching up with our motion and emotions.

The audience and performers are the ‘womb’, an interconnected organism of rhythmic bodies, comforting, peaceful, self regulating. The performer is the ‘other’ as well as a mirror of ourself, he is the intermediate between us and the world.

Exploring choreography and rhythm with two performers, we want to explore body reactions through different body sensitivities. We hope this to allow for better ‘connection’ and identification by having two human beings who inevitably are different and thus can connect better to different people.

The performance aims at creating a feeling of expanding time through choreographic cycles, sensory perceptions , e.g create a feeling of having known performer(s) and audience for a day/year/life time.

Two dancers and two audience members
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE
  • PERFORMANCE

Digital Umbilical is a performance for 1 to 2 dancers, 5 to 10 connected participants and X number of ‘spectators’ participants (30 to 50 tbc).

Participants are picking their tickets at the entrance, and get ‘selected’ in being a connected participant (emphasize on the uniqueness of the moment.) Connected participants are in the ‘womb’ with the performer(s), in a intimate and soft environment, having unique interactions. Spectators are ‘hidden’ and have a special and unique vision of the show.

The set up allows for moments of connected experiences when we are all experiencing a common event and moments of disconnect when we are allowed to reflect on our singularity and difference to the others .

We set to explore the amplification a body movement shared by all humans, and amplify the kinetic empathy to the performer and the presence and consciousness of our own body. The notion of presence will be amplified through repetition or mimetism , for the movement to remain in the audience memory even after it has been performed. Finally, the closeness to the audience suppose a different approach to movement making, looking at details and refined textures.

Arduino on body
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
  • TEAM
Headshot of Adam

Adam Seid Tahir

Performer

Adam studied contemporary dance at The Royal Swedish Ballet School (2012-2015) and the Ballet Junior de Geneve (2015-2018). In 2015 he did a project at The Gothenburg Opera's Dance Company, in 2017 he participated in a R&D with Michael Keegan Dolan and in 2018 he worked with The Waldorf Project.

Headshot of Salome

Salomé Bazin

Designer

Salomé is a designer and artist, founder of Cellule, design studio working accross art, science, and technology. She has worked with surgeons developping a set for cardiology training, developed a 3d printed wheelchair, and now partner with computer scientists and scholars in network intelligence.

Headshot of Renaud

Renaud Wiser

Choreographer

Renaud is a Swiss born and London based independent choreographer. A former dance artists with the Gothenburg ballet and Rambert, he is a foundermember of New Movement Collective and has recently been appointed artistic codirector of Newcastle based dance company Fertile Ground.

Headshot of Jon

Jon Rowe

Programmer

Jon Rowe is an artist and software developer who has been creating pioneering synthetic realities for 20 years. Working first with film and projection he hacked together a primitive mixed reality headset in the 1990s and has since been creating virtual worlds for many high profile clients.

Headshot of Lara

Lara Buffard

Producer

Lara Buffard, graduated in Museology and in Advanced Studies in Theatre, Performance and Contemporary Live Arts.She worked 10 years as Cultural project Coordinator at MUDAC (Museum of Contemporary design and Applied arts/CH).Today she works as a performance artist and producer.

Headshot of Simon

Simon Haenggi

Creative technologist

Simon is a London-based digital artist/creator and co-founder of the art & design studio Visualpilots. With 10+ years of experience he focuses on the exploration and modification of space using technology, creating installations that take the visitor onto contemplative journeys.

Headshot of Arthur

Arthur Astier

Musician

A french composer and musician, Arthur explores different styles of expressions. He has worked alongside international artists such as Christian Boltanski, Franck Krawczyk, Peter Brook.In recent year Arthur composed for Singapore Repertory Theatre and devised with Master students from Goldsmiths...

Headshot of Rosanne

Rosanne Briens

Performer

Rosanne studied ballet, contemporary and jazz dance at the conservatoire of Rouen before joining Ballet Junior de Genève (2012-2015). She ca-funded the collective Junebug company in 2015 with whom she worked until 2018 while freelancing in Europe.

Arduino with wires
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
  • TOURING
Upcoming
Previous tours
Arduino with wires
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
  • CONTACT
Email us
info@bodyintelligence.art
Supported by
Sainsbury's welcome Centre Sadler's Wells BNP Paribas Arts council England