Exploring the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Contemporary Dance Performances

Monday - May 13 2024, 22:49 UTC - 6 months ago

The WAVE technique, developed by researchers at the University of Helsinki, uses anticipation of future movement to guide contemporary dancers in virtual reality. It has been found to be suitable for slow-paced dance styles and has potential applications in music videos, karaoke, and tai chi. The team is also exploring the use of machine vision and virtual mirrors to enhance a dancer's performance. However, further research and development are needed to adapt the technique for faster dance styles.

Virtual reality technology has opened up a myriad of possibilities in various fields, and contemporary dance is no exception. However, creating a virtual dance experience comes with its own set of challenges.

One of the biggest challenges is visualizing and communicating to dancers how they should move within a virtual world. As Professor Perttu Hämäläinen from the University of Helsinki explains, "The human body is so multi-dimensional, and it is difficult to take in rich data in real-time." This delay in human perceptual-motor control makes it challenging for dancers to follow a new choreography in real time.

To address this issue, Ph.D. researcher Markus Laattala and his team at the University of Helsinki began experimenting with visualization techniques familiar from previous dance games. However, after several prototypes and stages, they decided to try out the audience wave, familiar from sporting events, to guide the dance. The idea behind this technique is that the wave-like movement of the model dancers allows the user to anticipate and see what kind of movement is coming next. This eliminates the need for dancers to rehearse the movements beforehand, making it easier for them to jump in and start dancing.

The team conducted a one-minute dance test with 36 participants, comparing the new WAVE visualization to a traditional virtual version in which there was only one model dancer to follow. The results showed that the WAVE technique was more suitable for slow-paced dance styles, as it allowed users to dive in without having to learn anything beforehand. However, for faster movements, the visuals can become confusing, and further research and development are needed to adapt and test the approach with more dance styles.

Apart from virtual dance games, the WAVE technique has the potential to be applied in various other areas, such as music videos, karaoke, and tai chi. As Laattala notes, "It would be optimal for the user if they could decide how to position the model dancers in a way that suits them. And if the idea were taken further, several dancers could send each other moves in social virtual reality. It could become a whole new way of dancing together." .

While mainstream VR devices only track the movement of the headset and handheld controllers, machine learning data can sometimes be used to infer how the legs move. However, as Hämäläinen explains, "In dance, inference is more difficult because the movements are stranger than, for example, walking." .

To address this challenge, the team is exploring the use of machine vision and virtual mirrors to track the movement of the dancer's feet. This would allow for the modification of a dancer's virtual performance through exaggeration of certain movements, such as increasing flexibility, height of the jumps, or hip movement. As Hämäläinen points out, "This can make them feel like they are more skilled than they are, which research shows has a positive impact on physical activity motivation." .

The WAVE technique is a promising development in the world of virtual reality and contemporary dance. With further research and development, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we dance and create a whole new experience for performers and audiences alike.