We were delighted to have such a strong response to our dance performance and to have developed a lot of interest in the Audience Engagement Platform for the Performing Arts that we are developing, on which we gave a presentation to the full assembly. We’ve made an online animated version of parts of the presentation which you can see here: www.misnomer.org/aep.

Developing solutions to empower artists and audiences online requires input from a range of voices and perspectives; we are delighted to receive so much feedback from within the performing arts world on a regular basis, and this last week, it was encouraging to see strong interest from the business and technology sectors in helping to bring new technological offerings to the arts.

A big thanks goes out to the entire team at Fortune Magazine – and especially David Kirkpatrick, Jessi Hempel, Simone Ross, and Delwyn Gray – for their bold creativity by inviting a dance performance into the midst of the conference!

This week, I have the honor of joining some of the brightest minds in the world at Fortune’s BrainStorm Conference. I will be performing Breakfast with You at Fortune’s BrainStorm Conference. The performance will take place on Tuesday, July 22nd at 4:10pm.

From the site:
“Chaired by technology editor David Kirkpatrick FORTUNE Brainstorm: TECH is an invitation-only event for business executives who recognize that their company’s future depends on understanding the trends at the core of technology.”

In addition to performing, I will also be on a panel entitled, Flexing the (Social) Network: Programming for the Web. Sitting on the panel with me will be:

Adam Elend
Executive Producer
CBS Interactive       

Dina Kaplan
Co-founder and COO
blip.tv

Steve Mitgang
Chief Executive Officer
Veoh Networks, Inc.

I will be blogging throughout the event, so make sure to check our flickr page for photos of the show and conference, or simply check back here for updates.

For a more in-depth look, you can also take a look at the other bloggers participating in live-blogging: 

This March 13th, Wanderlust (directed by Encyclopedia Pictura), will be screened in 3D at Deitch Studios!

Misnomer choreographed the video and two of our dancers (Coco and Brynne) perform in it alongside with Bjork!

We’re excited to officially announce the release date for Bjork’s music video Wanderlust. Attendance for the viewing is first-come, first-serve, so arrive early.

The choreographic and artistic process on this project was very rewarding, and we’re excited to be sharing this work with you. Once the video is released, check our flickr page for a behind the scenes look.

Nearest metro stops are Court Square. Take a look at the Map below for reference :

View Larger Map

Related Links:
Choreographing Bjork’s Music Video

Shooting in 3D

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We have exciting news for you. We did it! Your incredibly inspiring support helped Misnomer win $10k for the Arts. With this amazing gift, we are planning on building tools to bring artists and audiences (that’s you) closer via the web.

You can read the press release from Advanta, the sponsors of IdeaBlob.

Each month, there is a different winner. This month, Misnomer took the prize. IdeaBlob held a reception in New York City to recognize past winners. During the reception, Ami (IdeaBlob’s Chief Innovation Officer) handed Chris a large check – just like I used to see on TV.

We all took the opportunity to take a picture with the check. Check out the full photoset on our flickr page.

UPDATED: You can now read Deborah Jowitt’s article on Ideablob and Misnomer in the Village Voice

Dance Magazine’s December 2007 issue featured an article by Kina Poon called Whirled Wide Web. Kina interviewed Chris Elam, Misnomer’s artistic director, for the feature which focused on how dance companies like Misnomer and others are using the web.

Chris came up with the idea of recording the conversation with Kina so that you could hear some of the thoughts that could not make its way into the article. I took the video of Chris talking on the phone and placed past choreography and experiments on top of the conversation to give the conversation more context. I hope this supplemental material gives you additional insight into Dance Magazine’s great article.

Related Links:
Visit Dance Magazine
Read the Article

An interesting note – the entire production for Wanderlust was shot in 3D, in a relatively new process. The production also featured a great deal of technology on set. Isaiah, the music video director, explains all the different components:

“There are a number of different elements shot, or created in post [production], that all have to be combined, There is a large-scale, pre-human Yak-puppet, about 7-feet long and 7-feet tall, then there is Björk, then there is a version of Björk that she wears on her backpack played by [Coco Karol] a professional dancer, a large river god/transcendental beast, the landscapes shot in miniature and the CG [computer graphics] river. So each of those elements were manifested in a completely different environment and shot differently. “

For a detailed explanation of the process, read the full article on StudioDaily: http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/casestudies/8811.html

Check back here for pictures, videos, and more…Until then, enjoy watching Bjork’s latest video by Michel Gondry, “Declare Independence” [found via Create Digital Motion]

In addition to creating work for for Misnomer Dance Theater, we have been working to develop free tools to increase bookings and revenue for performing artists, and create engaging online content for you, our audiences.

I have a background in computer science, and a deep interest in helping the performing arts effectively utilize the web to develop lasting relationships with audiences online. Our initial efforts were featured in Business Week Magazine, so we know we are building something useful. With your help, we can help artists across the board while building the arts community! We’re asking readers to support our idea on IdeaBlob!

What will Misnomer do if we win $10,000 for this idea?

Your vote will help us

1) BUILD web-streaming capabilities for rehearsals enabling audiences to “attend” live rehearsals online and interact directly with artists.

2) CREATE an online theater in which visitors can watch and direct performances from multiple perspectives including back stage views, and performers’ point of view via body mounted cameras.

3) DEVELOP tools to request and display the geography of artist’s online audiences. Venues in new cities can then have ready-made audience bases.

We hope these online tools will help transform artist’s websites into sites of participation.

We anticipate this will create great impact in the arts world!

VOTE FOR US on IdeaBlob (reg req’d)! Or, heck, register your own idea!

“For people who want to be better informed, the Internet itself is the key. For those who want to join the process, the Web is where we merely start.”
-Dan Gillmor, We the Media

This article includes a comprehensive review of online initiatives in dance, including the great work of Kristin Sloan and Doug Fox.

You can read the full article as a PDF.

If you have thoughts about the ways that we are using the web, feedback about your experiences with Misnomer online or in the theater, or suggestions for how we can further improve the ways we share our work with you online, please let us know with a comment.

It’s great to be sharing the possibilities of creating and managing a dynamic website, blog, and social network with others who might be looking to do the same. One of the interesting issues that arose in the workshop is how we utilize our time. Online outreach can easily turn into a full-time job. However, there are many benefits – especially if it’s complementing the focus of your work.

In our case, this work has actually created a new position in Misnomer Dance theater – that of an online coordinator. As we continue to develop our online work, we are looking to develop the roles audiences and performers may share.

We are very much looking forward to the continuing participation and creativity this workshop will bring!

Chris Elam’s Misnomer is a big proponent of transparency. His company videotapes rehearsals and even office meetings for posting on its video blog, which allows audiences to get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a dance company. “Dance audiences traditionally interact with a dance company for only two hours a year and maybe get a couple of postcards,” Mr. Elam said. “But so much happens outside the performance, and we are trying to find ways of making the whole function of the company more open-source.”

Her article included a photo of Misnomer’s office in the Times:

Using her article as inspiration, we decided to give everyone a tour of Misnomer’ home office with a video we edited which the Times linked on their blog: