treadmill dreamtime, running in place pairs installation with performance, exploring the crossing of art, performance, nature, and science. Transforming abstract information about the environment into a full sensory experience, the work inspires a significant perspective shift in how we interact with our environment.

The participatory installation showcases surreal ecologies, or “echo” systems, that provide pseudo-experiences of a natural habitat. Performance places the highly visceral expression of contemporary dance into a media-rich space to develop a movement-based evocation of various natural habitats. The choreography depicts an ambulatory narrative that explores the transitional space between urban and “country” environments by following a tribe as they embark on a journey into a mythic desert. Video, sound, light, animation, and art installation work together to replace the boundaries of the theater walls and immerse the audience in a world in which they are free to interact and reflect upon their simulated surroundings.

This work is the second installment of echo::system, a series that offers a platform for creative, arts-driven research. Fusing art installation, choreographed multimedia performance, and public engagement, the vision of this five part series is to mediate connections between art and science.