Dancing Topologically
Karl Schaffer

Proceedings of Bridges 2021: Mathematics, Art, Music, Architecture, Culture
Pages 79–86
Regular Papers

Abstract

This paper was initially motivated by efforts to develop video performance in the time of COVID that incorporates split screen clips of dancers virtually interacting with each other. This led to play with several topological surface patterns in which connections between side by side video clips explores connection in a time when people are necessarily separated. The attention to the paths of objects in these videos led to an examination of paths of various types in dance composition, which touch on several other connections between dance and topological structures, including floor paths, winding and turning numbers, and especially knots and links. This is an initial effort to examine several topological properties found in many dance forms.

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