Exploring the concept of interdisciplinary

Alfredo Miralles is a contemporary dance performer and cultural manager. His work in performing arts production joins his two career paths: dance and project management. Since 2009 he works at the "Aula de las Artes" of Carlos III University in Madrid. He also writes and reflecting on dance, mainly working as a critic in SusyQ magazine. He is currently infused with the search of a suitable language on new technologies in conjunction with the art of movement. he was here to participate in Dance Bridges Festival 2017.

How would you characterize your relation to dance as an art form?

My relationship with dance is multifaceted. I work at the University Carlos III as cultural manager, creating projects around dance and new technologies. We work with students of different fields: engineers, sociologists... to approach Dance to other disciplines. So they are mostly pedagogical projects. But also I create some pieces with them as choreographer. So, this mixed profile between teaching, creating and managing conform my personal relationship with dance.

What are some central themes you’re exploring through your performances?

In my creative processes I am exploring the concept of interdisciplinary, which means I work not only with another artists, but with people from other fields of knowledge. Especially scientists. So I create mixed teams to create something together that put in dialogue different disciplines, as dance and computering. This is the center of my artistic research. 

What is your major source of inspiration?

My source of inspiration is the meeting with the other (that its also a meeting with yourself). When I start an interdisciplinary creative process I never know how its going to be the result, or even if we are going to be able to do something together. But the encounter with other disciplines make me think about my own dance practice, the borders of what I can imagine to be possible. So this meeting always pushes me out of my comfort area, which is the only place where the inspiration is possible for me.

What do you think how dance scene started to change in the context of technology?

Dance is linked to the world. And the world is getting more and more technological. So if choreographers want to talk about the way we connect nowadays with others, the way we construct our identity through social media, etc. they will start to consider the use of new technology as a way to express the new issues of current life.

What do you think the Dance Bridges Festival gives young dancers to take away?

Festivals are very important for young dancers. Its the moment when we can share with artist from other places, other cultures. It's a meeting point that enlarge your word. Specially this festival, whose name is Dance Bridges! For example, we've been attending workshops with artists from India and I'm going to meet a katak dancer (Alka Das Pranti) to share the interactive dispose of my piece. It's a way to share, to know new things and rethink your own practice and to notice that, in essence, we all are the same. Body language is universal. I can't be more agree with the festival statement: "in you I see my dance".

"The augmented body" is the scenic result of the encounter between 
the dance and new technologies promoted by the Carlos III 
University of Madrid (Spain) and configures an engineering bachelor thesis.

This dance solo seeks to establish dialogue between the two disciplines in
a horizontal hierarchy, in which technologies are part of the poetry of the scene 
based on real-time interaction.

In this piece, the Kinect sensor and the Processing programming is used to 

create interactive audiovisual that are activated and transformed by 

the movement of the dancer.

Credits: 

- Choreography, text and direction: Alfredo Miralles

- Interactive Audiovisual: Javier Picazas

- Interactive support: Javier Gorostiza

- Voice: Irene Gomez

- Original Music: Antonio Dueñas "A piel de héroe"

Link to short video:

 https://youtu.be/izILzADFa1k