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> From: Stephan Koplowitz <SKoplowitz@packer.edu>
> To: dance-tech@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: greetings...
> Date: Wednesday, April 09, 1997 6:29 AM
>
> When I joined this list, I had no idea what to expect. I must say that I
have
> been overwhelmed and impressed by the amount of cyber ink people are
devoting
> to the threads. This is clearly a place where people get things done and
take
> the time to consider what they do....I like that...
>
> To introduce myself:
> I am a director-choreographer-educator with a background in creating
> site-specific performance works. In fact, Terry Braun video-interviewed
me in
> London when I was working on a recent project (Genesis Canyon created for
the
> grand entrance hall at the Natural History Museum in London) and put part
of
> the interview on the web...the Dance Umbrella 1996 site...
>
> I have been working on a new site project for the past year and a half
(Webbed
> Feats) which started out as "Dancing on the Net". This project is not
about
> telematics but instead endeavors to take advantage of the interactivity
and
> interconnectiveness of the www. Webbed Feats is a cousin to (but NOT
inspired
> by) Todd Machover's Brain Opera, the difference being that it will
involve the
> performance of dance, theater, performance art in a non-technological
format.
> It will also attempt to bring people into the process of creating a
> site-specific event and to acknowledge (as much as possible) people's
input.
> We will also "broadcast" video images and sound of the performance with
a one
> hour time delay "live" on the day of the event. Cybercasting in real time
is
> too costly....
>
> Webbed Feats will launch on June 18th and will invite the web audience to
help
> me create a six hour performance event which will be inspired by the
design,
> contents and use of Bryant Park, behind the NYC Public Library in NYC.
People
> will be encouraged to submit different types of input based on different
sites
> found in the park. Hopefully, it will feature between 20 and 40 dancers
and
> actors who will perform different works in six different locations inside
the
> park from noon to 6pm....
>
> I am currently in the process of creating the web site with a writer and
I
> would be happy to invite this group to serve as beta testers of the site
in
> it's various pre-birth forms. If anyone would be interested in finding
out more
> about all this, please feel free to email me.....
>
> I have been fundraising since last year and have received funding from
Dancing
> in the Streets/Joyce Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation
MAP
> fund and a couple of other foundations....so far NO corporate
underwriting
> (although I am running a deep deficit right now and will need to find
more
> sources of funding, I am having a benefit "launch" to raise more money) I
am
> also looking for a corporate sponsor.
>
> My partners in this endeavor are 1. Planet Theory, a young company
involved in
> creating interactive media/kiosks and web content, they are helping me
create
> the website 2. Brooks Williams at El Net (the site will be hosted on
their
> server) and the Harmonic Ranch (will handle music composition) and 3.
Connie
> Connors of Connors Communications who will help me promote the web
site...
> I am also in discussions with Thinking Pictures who have offered to help
with
> the cybercast portion of the event.....Everyone is either working with me
at
> minimal cost or pro bono.....the ultimate address of this project will be
> www.webbedfeats.org (not .com)......
>
> To answer any Coco Fusco's out there, I have not gotten involved in
cyberspace
> for want of corporate money. I'm genuinely interested in what this
technology
> can do and I think that there is more to the www than just magazine
retreads,
> selling merchandise and sex.....However, my experience in creating any
kind of
> large scale event is that it cannot exist in an economic vacuum. I have
no
> problem soliciting corporate support, especially for art that will not
cost
> anyone to see it (the event in the park will be FREE to the public, the
website
> is not proprietary but obviously some people pay to be online)...The arts
in
> the US are so underfunded already.....
>
> I look forward to sharing my progress with you all...
>
> Steve Koplowitz
>
> -------------------------
> Packer Collegiate Institute
> Brooklyn, NY USA