Introducing: Robo-Pointe-Shoes
(Courtesy Lesia Trubat, via Designboom)
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about new technology designed to capture to capture the movement of dance. The latest development? PREPARE FOR THE ATTACK OF THE ROBO-POINTE-SHOES!
JK. But you have to admit, they look a little Terminator-y. This new invention, which is actually called E-Traces Pointe Shoes, was developed by designer Lesia Trubat and published in Designboom magazine. The pointe shoes are equipped with a micro-controller board that records changes in pressure as the ballerina dances. It then converts those changes into visual interpretations.
Confused? We were too. Allow us to translate tech-talk into our language.
Chaînés look like this:
Rond de jambes looks like this:
And tour jetés look like this:
It’s pretty cool, right?! We’re not entirely sold on the idea that this technology will serve as a new form of dance notation. But it could definitely be interesting as a backdrop or technological supplement to a live show—and Trubat’s introductory video, “E-Traces, Memories of Dance,” gives us a little preview of what that might look like:
