Dust aims to transform the way people see and experience contemporary dance through a 4 minute long immersive virtual reality experience. It explores the boundaries between the virtual and the real-world experiences and advances research in the fields of participatory performance, human-computer interaction and VR technologies.

In Dust, the audience uses a Virtual Reality (VR) headset to place themselves in the immediate presence of the dancer and within a unique visual and aural scenario created by capturing volumetric recordings of dancers and photogrammetric imagery of Rambert’s building. The resulting effect is exhilarating, allowing the audience to experience the work from different perspectives and within the space where the dance is happening. DUST creates an emotional connection between the audience and the dancers, and between the audience and the digitally reconstructed architecture. It is a demonstration of what dance, performance, film and sound could become in the future of VR.

The piece is inspired by how almost every element on Earth was formed at the heart of stardust, including our bodies. Drawing inspiration from these eternal particles, as well as the motif of the unthinkable world expressed by the philosophy book In the Dust Of This Planet by Eugene Thacker, Dust seeks to reimagine our perception of body, space and time with the use of digital technologies. Dust seeks to explore innovative forms of engaging the audience and ways of building new narratives through the creative partnership of performing arts and new media.

Digital artists: Mária Júdová & Andrej Boleslavský
Choreographer: Patricia Okenwa
Dancers: Soňa Ferienčíková & Roman Zotov
Creative producer: Carmen Salas
Musician: Miles Whittaker aka Demdike Stare

Dust has been produced by Carmen Salas with the support of the Arts Council of England. International presentation has been supported using public funding by Slovak Arts Council.

2019/04 Zealous Stories: Digital, UK
2018/11 best VR experience, Nexon computer Museum in Korea
2018/07 New Face Award, Japan Media Arts Festival, Tokyo, JP
2017/12 best VR experience, B3 Biennale des bewegten Bildes, Frankfurt, DE