Reinterpreting Schlemmer's Triadic Ballet: Interactive Costume for Unthinkable Movements

摘要

In the 1920s, Oskar Schlemmer, artist in the Bauhaus movement, created the Triadic Ballet costumes. These restrict movement of dancers, creating new expressions. Inspired by this, we designed an interactive wire costume. It restricts lower body movements, and emphasizes arm movements spurring LED-light 'sparks' and 'waves' wired in a tutu-like costume. The Wire Costume was introduced to a dancer who found that an unusual bond emerged between her and the costume. We discuss how sensory alteration (sight, kinesthetic awareness and proprioception) and bodily training to adjust to the new soma, can result in novel, evocative forms of expression. The interactive costume can foster a certain mood, introduce feelings, and even embody a whole character - only revealed once worn and danced. We describe a design exploration combining cultural and historical research, interviews with experts and material explorations that culminated in a novel prototype.