At the Association for Computing Machinery's (ACM) annual Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH) summer conference, all eyes and ears were honed in on "The Scylla System," a work that brings five dancers and ten drones into a shared performance environment. While the dancers and drones drew from specific choreography and code, there was also a degree of improvisational freedom where the dancers could influence the drones by moving their hands under their infrared sensors.
As part of the Summer 2025 inaugural Spatial Storytelling program, a special presentation was led by the U's School of Dance's Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies Eric Handman, Virginia Tech's Associate Professor and Chair of the Creative Technologies MFA Program, and Virginia Tech's Associate Professor Scotty Hardwig (U Modern Dance MFA '14) to share how the intersection of performance, technology, and space could create new forms of storytelling.
When asked what conversations he hopes this piece sparks, Handman answered thoughtfully, "There is a conversation about ethics, safety, and preparation to be had about robotic devices and human bodies moving together in proximity. What does dance bring to this conversation? Knowledge about embodiment, movement, interdisciplinary collaboration, communication, teamwork, agency, and the power of aesthetic wonder to get people into a curious and receptive state."
Curious to learn more?
- Read ACM SIGGRAPH's interview where Handman, Duer, and Hardwig discuss their project and the future of Spatial Storytelling (December 2025)
- Read the U's College of Fine Arts' Finer Points article where Handman was interviewed in advance of the premiere of the work in the School of Dance's "cross·roads" performance that was made possible by contributions from the U's Kahlert School of Computing.