Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener: Open Machine

Choreographers Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener combine technological and human pathways into a dynamic work that imagines an Artificial Intelligence lovingly programmed by experimental dance. Open Machine presents a constantly shifting performance with live speech-to-text transcription, projected images, and virtual renderings that amplify and react to the unfolding dance. Blurring the lines between brain, body, and machine, the piece is accompanied by a sweeping, mechanical sound score by electronic musician Mas Ysa and vocal artist Charmaine Lee, media design by Jesse Stiles, and lighting design by Davison Scandrett. As dancers navigate the stage with precision and abandon, Open Machine synthesizes disparate modes of working, and reflects the social and spatial structures that shape our daily lives.