One of the contradictions I live – both personally and professionally – is technology and dance.

Dance is the most raw form of expression. It is an activity that makes you connect with the body/shell/thing that you live in, that gives the most direct shape to your soul. To dance is to be control of this thing, or to deliberately not be in control.

To move is primitive.

Technology, in the most simple terms, is systems or tools that solve human problems. It allows human imagination take shape in the most logical way. Imagination drives “progression” in the most direct way (though, whether it improves or worsen human condition is another debate).

Technology is the future.

I love the idea of technology, of finding innovative ways to solve problems; progression. When I return to dance, I cannot help but rapidly realise the former is such an out-of-body experience, something that made me lose touch of a core, or centre, or soul of being a human.

A friend suggested that as technology continues to advance, humans will simply become robots. The only thing that stops this from happening is our sentiments for humanity.

For me – and I say this not as a dancer but simply as someone who has failed a long distance relationship simply because of distance, technology that kept people in touch can never replace a hug, the sense of togetherness when you are physically with each other, and sensing the human emotions that you get from movements (i.e. back to the idea of the expression of human soul in the body).

Think about it, how many times we typed “lol” yet we didn’t laugh? We have unintentionally developed a second self, just the way it is. Is this – emotions, and genuine emotions – what my friend referred to as “sentiments for humanity”?

If dance/movements/corporeality and technology are on both sides of a spectrum, will there be a genuine connection between them?

Note to self: This question is about the everyday human experience that arise from living dance and technology, which will lead to utilising or investigating the influence of technology in dance-making (for artists).. and what does this mean for administrators?