Justin Lange

Gloves as a luminous dance instrument that are not simply pretty, but expressive

Description

LEDs wands, poi, hoops and other “light-up” instruments and toys constitute a desired aesthetic in EDM culture, but as tools for individual movement-based expression, they are no more expressive than a flashlight. Most LED devices have only two states (“on” or “off”), or offer preprogramed sequences. Several state-of-the art POV (“persistence of vision”) devices allow custom images to be uploaded, but none allow immediate control over LEDs' expressive potential, such as luminance or hue. To encourage light dancing that is not simply pretty but also expressive, I created a new hand-held kinetic instrument — a pair of gloves — with onboard sensors and controls that allow dancers to spontaneously generate and display novel light patterns while dancing.

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Thesis