College of Fine Arts

A man wearing a bulky black jacket with red and green wires running in and out of it that are attached to strangely shaped packs and pods, can make a crowd very nervous. Especially if it's a crowd of dancers. But Yacov Sharir, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, takes it all in stride. For over fifteen years, Sharir has been exploring ways to merge dance and computer technologies through the use of "cyber-suits."

For many people, the concept of fusing dance-where the basic currency of trade is the breathing human body-with cyber-science is like watching the Food Network instead of actually eating. But in Sharir's eyes, it's really just a matter of perspective. "We still look at computers as tools to do things with," he says. "Instead of thinking that this is a computer, I like to think of it as a theatre space. The concept of using this as a world, as a space where images can take place and come to life, that is, to me, a larger conceptual framework." Sharir's interest is in performance augmentation; how the human body can perform beyond its normal abilities with the inclusion of cyber elements. Searching for "extended abilities and performance magic," he sees no conflict in the elements he uses to conduct his search.

Yacov Sharir in his cyber suit.

To that end, Sharir has created a wide-ranging network of collaborators-from computer programmers to architects to animators-to form a team with which to go spelunking through the mostly unexplored territory of cyber-dance. With these projects, "collaborative efforts are almost forced, because you need so much information in order to make a work. You can't do it yourself," Sharir says. He humbly adds that these works aren't about appointing himself as the "idea man" who needs people to help do "his" work. "We tend to think, 'Oh. OK. I am the artist and I need help.' That's not collaboration. If you are going to collaborate, you are open to accept other sensibilities as sensibilities that must be considered and alter the work." It is this insistence on a holistic approach that has yielded Sharir and his collaborators such success.

Sharir's first foray into the theatre of the computer came in 1991 with what, in comparison with more recent works, seems like a downright analog version of the cyber-suit. It featured a small Sony Vaio laptop, with its screen closed, strapped to the chest and routed to a pair of goggles Sharir wore as he performed. The suit had sensors imbedded at various points that allowed coordinates relating to the movement to be plotted cybernetically to create the cyber-human's movement. One of the newest cyber-suits was premiered at the recent Eyes, Ears and Feet concert, a collaboration between dancers from the Theatre and Dance Department and musicians from the School of Music's electronic music program. This suit sports a Light Emitting Diode (LED) screen which scrolls text in a brilliant white light that can be created and changed "on the fly," as Sharir says. Sharir and his collaborators have built six different suits so far, each costing $8,000 to $10,000 to create. One suit even required the creation of a custom built motherboard, a so-called "teenyboard" because of its miniscule size. As they continue to modify the text suit, Sharir and his team are looking into a space-age fabric that is itself electric. The fabric eliminates the need for wires of any sort to connect its various components, and is as malleable as any traditional fabric, thus allowing complete, wireless freedom of movement for the performer.

The George Jetson 'neat-o!' factor of this equipment alone makes the thought of using it intriguing. But Sharir is quick to point out that technology can be a seductive but deadly trap. He insists the use of technology in his work fit cohesively with a core concept. "People think that just because you use technology it's cool. There's nothing cool about something that's not compelling. The narrative needs to create clearly what [the technology] would do within the work." He adds that in order to be more than a novelty, "You have to really find a satisfying way where cyber-human and humans can interact, as opposed to just projecting them." He stresses this goal in the classes he teaches on the theory and creation of performance and technology.

Sharir's classes are unique not only for the material which they cover, but also for the multi-disciplined backgrounds of their students. In the past, Sharir has taught students from the Departments of Theatre and Dance, Radio/Television/Film, Art and Art History, Engineering and Architecture all in the same classroom. Sharir points out, "You can't really engage in exploring technology for performance unless you know how to be a team, and know how to engage with every member in your team in a way that is equal and potentially interesting." Collaboration is always tricky, but the different styles of thinking and communication arising from a diverse group can provide an extra challenge-and an extra learning opportunity. "For example," Sharir says, "there is an assumption that engineers are not necessarily artistic. It's true-if you consider that we [artists] don't have a language to speak to engineers. But it's not only to develop a language to be able to talk to each other, but you really have to develop the listening skills. Not just hearing-everyone hears stuff—but when you are really listening, you are immersed within the material that is presented." The opportunity for, and necessity of, learning the art of collaboration is one of the more extraordinary aspects of this field.

When asked what he thinks the future of this work is, he pauses briefly, and nods. "There are not that many people in this field exploring the use of new technology and performance augmentation. The ideal situation would be that many more people will join. It's like everyone now is using a video camera, right? Twenty years ago it was different." Sharir says the ultimate necessity is that this field must, like the now-ubiquitous palmcorder, "move away from being a hype, and move to being more of a reality."

At the University of Texas, and with a collaborator and teacher like Yacov Sharir, students and professionals alike-if they're really listening—will all certainly hear something impressive coming: the future and reality of performance and technology.