A Conversation about Tech and Dance: Robbert-Jan Brems

May 2

For many residents of BC, we are approaching 8 weeks of self-isolation due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. These uncertain times have created a new norm for everyone, as we are all finding ways to continue life as best as possible from home. We’ve seen many artists, teachers, and students in the dance community embracing technology like never before as a way to stay connected to this art form. Technology has always been an important value here at Danse Bloom. Throughout the current development of the Danse Bloom app, we have been able to explore the endless possibilities that technology can bring to artists, the dance industry itself, and the mediums in which creators work and collaborate. This month, we sat down with our very own CTO Robbert-Jan Brems to talk about the use of Dance and Technology due to COVID-19. Robb has an immersive background as a former breakdancer and urban freestyler, and now provides his unique point of view as a technical artist that works on films and games. With this article, we hope to provide insight on how artists can navigate technology in their practices during this time.

You are a breakdancer turned tech artist who has been with us since the very beginning. Can you tell us what you do at Danse Bloom?

Maybe by explaining what a technical artist is, I can shed some light on my consistent support for Danse Bloom. Having dance in my life has given me many opportunities to learn how to collaborate and be adaptable. These skills later turned into very important assets in the video game industry - they value people that can bridge the gap between technology and creativity, while still keeping business in mind. In the last couple years I have been helping companies use video game technology to build technical solutions. Aligning with their original objectives, these solutions create new ways for companies to be successful. Having been part of Danse Bloom from the beginning, (or even before, as I am Valerie’s wonderful Belgian boyfriend of many years), I used those skills to help us explore new perspectives in dance. We want to discover how technology can become a self-sustainable part of the dance ecosystem, while also considering the future of tech and dance in the next five to ten years.

To give a more concise answer - I am helping to build a mobile application with Danse Bloom with the objective of connecting global dance communities online. It's a big project, but the key is designing an application with the dancer in mind. From there, it's easy for anyone to use the app to be connected to dance or to share the values they create.

Many artists are turning to technology to continue their creative practices during these uncertain times. What information can you provide to dance artists as they transition to using technology for their practice?

There are many topics in technology that anyone can pursue depending on your interest. I like to take random courses on MOOC sites (Massive Online Open Courses) to explore what I like to play around with.

There are some free and paid sites to explore, like the following:

A creator’s platform that is quite well known is called Unity 3D (this is also the company I work for aside from Danse Bloom!). This is a real-time 3D platform that was designed to develop video games. In the last couple of years, various other industries have started to use it - for example, the platform is used to enhance healthcare, education, interactive art pieces, and even performance art. Real-time 3D means that you are able to visualize objects in 3D dimensions on your screen, and you can even add your own interactions to it.

A couple of topics for you to explore:

3D animation – How can we move objects and characters in a virtual space?

Level design – What would designing a virtual dance world or stage look like?

Lighting – How would you set up lighting to enhance your virtual performance?

Cinematography – How can you set up a camera to record a performance in a virtual world?

You can then use these skills to develop a dance movie in 3D, or even a live performance one day (this would incorporate some extremely advanced topics of course)! You can find great free workshops on the learning website. By simply searching online for Unity 3D tutorials, you will find plenty of content to work with.

What are some positive and negative examples of the use of technology with dance that you have seen during this time?

I’ve learned that every solution comes with new problems. And this is the same in technology! I have definitely seen more problems arise recently, since the dance industry has now jumped onto technological solutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s start with the negative examples that come to mind, as these are somehow always the easiest to remember. I am not the biggest fan of the video-sharing app TikTok, as it seems to be a platform where dance can be oversexualized on a massive scale. Maybe this is just me getting older… I will let the reader form their own opinion. Luckily, TikTok has many different branches of content. There are more family-friendly dance projects as well which I can really appreciate. Another setback that comes with the recent rise of online video training is that it is becoming more and more challenging for people to protect their own work. When you provide classes online, people have the ability to easily record your training or performance without you knowing. They can further copy and distribute your work without your awareness or giving proper credit to the creator. It is increasingly common for this to happen in many art forms, and now even more so with dance.

On the flip side, the positive uses of tech I have seen currently are pretty exciting! The first example I can share is the volumetric capturing of dance. This literally means using many cameras that point at the same location to capture a performance from every angle. With the use of mobile devices, you have the ability to navigate in a 3D space and observe a performance from any location! An outlet like this gives us new ways to preserve dance culture and continue to inspire artists for many generations to come. An additional positive is the increasing value of online art events. Many companies have been working with music artists to develop live DJ performances for virtual reality and live streaming experiences. This market is going to grow a lot in the coming years. I can already see the place for dancers to develop virtual choreography for artists around the world, or in motion capture that is used to create these performances.

Some more resources for you to explore:

Volumetric Capturing of the iconic film Grease, created by Intel
Live streamed concert by R&B singer Tinashe in virtual reality

How do you see the future of dance and technology after COVID-19?

This virus crisis has accelerated a lot of developments that were bound to happen. There have been a lot more online dance related services, like online classes and mentoring that can extend globally in the future. This means various dance styles and cultures can be accessible to everyone, and from there we can be a part of a bigger conversation surrounding dance. People are finding new and exciting ways to collaborate towards online platforms. You can meet other people in virtual reality and build dance performances in a virtual world, as well as create the world itself and experiment how it reacts to movement. With new monetization technologies becoming accessible on a widespread scale, dancers will be able to find different ways to get paid for their craft. I’m inspired to examine how the time and energy dancer’s spend creating their craft can result in sustainable returns back to them.

Technology allows us to be inclusive to so many different people outside the dance ecosystem. With these fresh perspectives on how our art form can evolve over time, we can adapt to the changes that we are experiencing in our daily lives. I am so excited to see the influence that this technological shift will bring to the dance artists, communities, and their work in the near future.

Now more than ever, Danse Bloom is reflecting the importance of staying connected to the community around us. Our team is adapting to these uncertain times by directing our energy to the development of the Danse Bloom mobile app. A digital medium for artists is truly needed given the current situation that artists across Canada are currently facing. Head over to our Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook pages for exciting updates on our app each month! If you want to learn more about dance and technology, feel free to contact Robb by email or at his LinkedIn.