Breathing with Robots: Notating Performer Strategy, Alongside Choreographer Intent and Audience Observation, in Breath-Driven Robotic Dance Performance

This chapter presents an analysis of the choreography for Babyface, a dance solo and interactive installation comprising a pair of breath-activated robots. A discussion of breath from somatic and choreographic perspectives is offered alongside new symbols for the description and notation of breath. The paper also highlights an important triptych in the creation of meaningful movement—the choreographic vision, the performer’s strategy, and what can be observed by the audience—which is heightened due to the breath-based control mechanism for the mechanical device. These elements illustrate how visual aesthetic, style, and emotion work together in any salient moment of human-robot interaction, and the analysis presented proposes a systematic way of accounting for breath across these elements. Moreover, in taking a myopic and enthusiastic interest in a particular work of choreography, the chapter demonstrates how practical ends are enabled by this curiosity-driven research at the intersection of robotics and the performing arts.