Zhulin Shi · CLIENT: Last Lab Inc.
Sense Move is a light emitting costume designed for dancers. The costume folds into geometric shapes that follow the movement of the body, forming a kinetic sculpture on stage. Light effects express changing emotions. A slow fade suggests breathing, and a flash suggests excitement. A sensing glove is included as part of the costume. When a member of the audience touches the hand of the dancer, the light changes in response to the touch. The design aims to strengthen the emotional connection between performers and viewers.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Sense Move costume communicates emotionally through the body movements of the dancers. The different light effects express the costume’s emotions; for instance, a slow fade is breathing, and a flash conveys excitement. It not only presents dynamic forms like a Kinetic 3D Sculpture, but also enable musicians and performers to improve their performance and enhances people’s experience of performances and expands the boundaries of the performance industry.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 70mm x Depth 30mm x Height 150mm
- Tags
- wearable technology, led lighting costume, kinetic sculpture
- Production Technology
- In the process of prototyping, sketching, draping, cutting sewing, sewing, soldering and programming have been applied.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge part is finding the form and concept for the costume design. I did many prototypes in different material and explore the movement part can create imaginary space to inspire dancer and grab people's eyes.
- Project Duration
- The project original started in May 2016 for my MID thesis at Pratt. Sense Move costume has been applied and displayed in experimental workshops and a chamber opera in NYC. In 2016, I launched the “Sense Move” workshop featuring the renowned dancer and choreographer Yin Mei and violinist Wang Xiaotong in NYC. Since then, I and a collaborating guest artist Clarice Assad were invited to teach the experimental “Sense & Sound” workshop at the New Musical Instrument Hackathon 2016 at the Spotify headquarters in NYC. In 2018, I redesigned “Sense Move” Costume for a multimedia opera – Semulacrum.
- Operation Flow
- The different light effects express the costume’s emotions; for instance, a slow fade is breathing, and a flash conveys excitement. It not only presents dynamic forms like a Kinetic 3D Sculpture, but also creates new geometric space for the dancers. I designed “Sense” glove as a part of “Kinetic Sculpture” Costume. When a member of the audience touches the hand of a dancer who is wearing the costume, the light changes by sensing the touch as if the costume was alive. This will enhance the emotional transmission between the dancer and the audience, and even engage the audience to participant into the contact improvisation.
- Research
- I love dancing. I started dancing from 5 years old. The costumes like Cinderella’s dress gave me confidence on the stage. In 2007, I studied contact improvisation in UC Davis with famous choreographer Nita Little. With the experience in dancing and choreography, I started to ask myself how can costume further link emotional experience to our mind. Nita Little wrote “the ‘mountain’ moves and the ‘cloud’ changes as a result. Notice how our attention travels across surfaces while your awareness may slip into the volumes they contain.” A common thread was found in my research, which is costumes can make a connection between movement, imagination and emotion.
I attempted to design costumes that serves the bi-lateral relationship between Poetic Design and the Pattern Language of Dance. - Inspiration
- With the experience in dancing and choreography, I started to ask myself how can costume further link emotional experience to our mind. Since that, I interviewed with a famous choreographer and dance artist – Yin Mei, whose wise words “I can create an architecture space using my joints, which is already telling a story” sparked my inspiration. My initial concept is about geometrical folding following along with the kinetic movement of the body.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Bengrong Zhu, Model Evita Zacharioglou
Image #2: Photographer Bengrong Zhu, Model Evita Zacharioglou
Image #3: Photographer Bengrong Zhu, Model Evita Zacharioglou
Image #4: Photographer Bengrong Zhu, Model Evita Zacharioglou
Image #5: Photographer Bengrong Zhu, Model Evita Zacharioglou
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