Dive into a poetic mixed reality with Still Moving
On May 24th at 1 pm and 6 pm, the Independent Dance Stage will host a performance of Liis Vares and Taavet Jansen’s project “Still Moving”, which allows the audience to playfully approach text creation and choreography in both the real and virtual worlds.
In the internet age, living through screens has become the norm, which may seem passive, but at the same time it can also be seen as active participation on a virtual stage. In their new project “Still Moving”, Taavet Jansen and Liis Vares use VR glasses to create a staged space of thought, where participants can interact with each other in a diverse way through a poetic text environment in mixed reality. Jansen and Vares are interested in co-creation in their research – each participant brings a unique physicality, imagination and interpretation to both the real and virtual worlds, helping to shape the choreographic language and inclusive dramaturgy in the space.
“The new reality is a mixed reality. For some people, technology is a primary tool for being active and involved in society. Technology does not diminish our human nature, but can even enhance it. However, the prerequisite is that we are ready to explore technological possibilities more closely,” explain Jansen and Vares.
“Still Moving” will be opened on May 24th at 1 pm (in estonian) and 6 pm (in english) at Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL). At 8 pm, an artist talk will take place in English, hosted by Tallinn University postdoctoral fellow William Primett. The event is free for spectators and with registration.
“Still moving” is part of the pan-European project Modina, which aims to expand the creative possibilities of contemporary dance and enhance the audience experience through digital technology. Jansen and Vares’ work is also the third development of their broader series “Held in Human”, which explores the meaning of presence and being in the body in a modern world where technology significantly expands and mediates the human experience.
“Still Moving” is developed as part of an 8-week residency at Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava. The technical mentor is the Institute of Digital Technologies at Tallinn University. Modina’s project is co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme.
Liis Vares is a choreographer based in Tallinn and in the digital space, playing in the middle ground of performing and visual arts. She is a certified DanceAbility teacher and a visiting lecturer at the Viljandi Academy of Culture of the University of Tartu, specializing in improvisation and inclusive approaches in dance and performance arts. In her work, she moves on the boundaries of the physical and the spiritual, the personal and the social. In 2022, he received the Annual Performance Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment for his innovative choreographic practice and his treatment of politically and socially sensitive topics in his work.
Taavet Jansen is an interdisciplinary artist whose work combines movement, digital technologies and interactive performance art. His practice focuses on blurring the boundaries of art at the intersection of the viewer’s physical and digital presence. Jansen has placed his work in various environments, including theater, gallery and virtual spaces – his current focus is on engaging audiences in hybrid spaces and mixed reality performances. Taavet has also held several academic roles at both the University of Tartu’s Viljandi Academy of Culture and the Estonian Academy of Arts.
Photo: Alana Proosa
