Shana Simmons Dance Receives Arts Equity Reimagined Fund to Develop THE VIRTUAL DANCE EXCHANGE PROJECT

Shana Simmons Dance announce an award from the Arts Equity Reimagined Fund for The Virtual Dance Exchange Project (VDEP), a collaboration between SSD, Chrisala Brown in Pittsburgh, Bianca Johnson & Dancers (BJD) in New York City, and XRconnectED in Pittsburgh.

VDEP is a forward-thinking collective, pushing the boundaries of dance into new mediums while addressing issues of equity and their impact on bodies and creative processes. VDEP is among the first dance collaborations to present dance filmed in a 360-degree format, creating an immersive environment for the viewer. This fall, VDEP will launch its inaugural dance experiences coupled with online community conversations.

"The Virtual Dance Exchange Project was born from conversations about race and age diversity in dance, COVID's impact on the dance world, new ways of intersecting technology and dance, and comparing opportunities and institutions which exist (or don't exist) within the dance communities of New York City and Pittsburgh," said Shana Simmons, Artistic Director of SSD.

The project also addresses ways that funding structures impede the ability of small dance companies to survive and innovate, especially black-led organizations.

"I believe that people of every age, gender, culture, body type and technical level should have equal access to the performing arts, both as audience members and performers. Dance gives us the opportunity to create community, camaraderie, and to recognize and embrace our shared humanity," said Johnson. "Since theaters have closed, everywhere we stand is our stage, and now with the intersection of dance and technology, we can continue to bring quality arts programming to communities all over."

VDEP is developing original choreography filmed in 360-degree video format, putting the viewer at the center of the performance, giving them agency to look around at the environment at will, creating a completely immersive dance experience filmed and edited by Jaehee Cho.

"Emerging technologies present new creative possibilities, and performing artists can utilize them to expand their artistic range and reach new audiences. When viewers watch 360-degree video in a virtual reality headset, they are immersed within the performance and environment and have the opportunity to look in any direction, making for a memorable experience," said XRconnectED's founder and director Karen Alexander.

This virtual performance will be available Sept. 24 - Nov. 19. VDEP is also hosting a three-part series of educational online group discussions addressing systemic racism and how it continues to sustain inequities in the arts and technology communities, the role of the arts in building a city's reputation to attract and retain tech workers, and ways that artists can begin to experiment with new technologies.

The official celebratory launch event for the inaugural Virtual Dance Exchange Project is on Oct. 1. An invitation-only event is planned for 6:30 p.m. at Pittsburgh Community Television (PCTV) with an immersive headset experience of VDEP's 360-degree performances and being part of the live studio audience for event filming. This event will be live streamed to an online platform including live interviews with the creative team, live dancing and music demonstrations, and Q&A sessions. Online participants will be able to ask questions, interact with their own online host, and tune into the event from anywhere they choose.

The 360-degree VDEP experience will be available online through November 19. Tickets range from $5/Pay-What-You-Will to $40, which includes a ticket and 2 cardboard headsets with which the VDEP performances can be viewed immersively.

VDEP's series of online public discussions this fall is entitled VDEP SYMPOSIUM 2021: Conversations on Art and Technology (Working Title). This three-part series emphasizes the importance of the existence of diverse arts cultural organizations in "thriving" cities; addresses how continued youth and adult education plays a role in developing equitable dance communities; and highlights current intersections and projects involving the arts and technology. The collective (SSD, Brown, BJD, and XRC) have met weekly since January, generating dialogue about these topics, which informed and inspired the creation of their 360-degree performances.

The VDEP online dialogue series will feature expert speakers from arts and education organizations and immersive technology fields. Currently on the roster are: Celeste Smith (Pittsburgh Foundation), Randal Miller (Pgh Dance Council), Lauren Ruffin (Crux), Erin Perry (Legacy Arts), Aileen Barry (NYC), Jaehee Cho (Orta Interactive), Lee Erdman (Canada), and others to be announced. The free online events will take place on Oct. 5, Oct. 26, and Nov. 16 at 7:00 p.m. through Zoom. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, visit shanasimmonsdance.com.