In April of 1996 four forward thinking inspired men collaborated on a first of its kind merger of ballet, modern dance, and technology. No one could have predicted the revolution in dance that was to follow. Dancers, engineers, professors, and crew came together to bring their vision to life. Hear what it takes from the dancers and choreographers.
The Dance Technology Project was a labor of love. Everyone came together to go where performance art had never been. The artists involved are world class dancers, choreographers, and technicians.
Thanks to:
- Michael Sinclair – IMTC Director – Georgia Tech
- G. Wayne Clough – President – Georgia Tech
- David Parsons – Choreographer – Parsons’ Dance
- John McFall – Artistic Director – The Atlanta Ballet
- Milton Galfas – Producer
Where are they now?
- John McFall – Choreographer and Teacher – Amsterdam
- David Parsons – Choreographer and Dancer – New York City
- G. Wayne Clough – President Georgia Technology, Secretary of the Smithsonian
- Michael Sinclair – Senior Principal Research Hardware Engineer at Microsoft Research with interests and skills in hardware devices for human-computer interfacing, haptics, MEMS, optics, VR/AR and medical sensors.
- Gregory & Marjorie Schramel – Artistic and Assoc. Artistic Directors – New Orleans Ballet Theatre
- John Welker, Artistic and Executive Director – Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre – Atlanta, Georgia
- Wei Dong Scheng – Artistic Director at Atlanta Professional Dance Academy – Duluth, Georgia, China’s Got Talent Gold Medal Winner – 4th place America’s Got Talent
- Tara Lee – Choreographer and Producer – Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre – Atlanta, Georgia
- Julianne Spratlin – Director/Owner at Dance Training Center – San Francisco
- Donna Patzius – Owner at Patzius Performing Arts – Creve Coeur, Missouri
- Daniel Rychlec – Broadway Dancer, The Phantom of the Opera
- Armando Luna – Choreographer, Ballet Teacher, Dancer – Atlanta Georgia
Milton’s Contribution
I was producing The Bubba Show, a comedy/variety technology show while supporting the Atlanta Ballet as a patron when I met John McFall at a fund raiser. I never expected the call on a Friday asking me to bring my cameras Monday and embed myself for four days while the Atlanta Ballet prepared the show.
When the pandemic struck, I discovered two boxes of 3/4 inch broadcast tape with more than 23 hours of video. Two years later, I ended up with 26 minutes of history.