Blue Strawberry | Subcircle | TEDxDirigo

Quick Overview

The TEDxDirigo performance, titled "Blue Strawberry," is a unique piece of choreography where the performer reacts live to eight randomly sequenced one-minute videos, forcing continuous adaptation of his accompanying movements.

Key Points: The performance piece is titled "Blue Strawberry: An experiment in randomisation." Eight one-minute videos are sequenced randomly for each performance. The core concept forces the live performer to continuously adjust his choreography in real-time to match the unscripted video sequence. The performance features diverse video locations, including an empty studio with window light, a dock on choppy water, a forest floor, a city street, and a rooftop with solar panels and HVAC units. The performer demonstrates intense physical adaptation, mirroring the actions in the videos, ranging from broad stretching to crouching and specific hand gestures. The production credits list Scott McPhanters (Performed by), Jorge Cousineau (Programmed and scored by), and Liz Mulkey and Iacqui DeFrança (Filmed by).

Context: This video captures a live performance titled "Blue Strawberry" from a TEDxDirigo event, which centers on the concept of controlled chaos and improvisation. The core structure involves a live dancer adapting his choreography instantly to a pre-recorded, randomly shuffled sequence of eight one-minute video clips, testing the performer's ability to maintain cohesion amidst unpredictability.

Detailed Analysis

The performance, titled "Blue Strawberry," is an exercise in reactive choreography where the live performer must instantaneously match the movements, settings, and emotional tenor of eight different one-minute video clips that play in a random order. The presentation begins with the title slide explaining this premise. The performer, dressed casually in a blue shirt and gray pants, stands ready on stage under dramatic purple lighting. The sequence of videos is entirely unpredictable, forcing him to transition abruptly between different physical responses. One clip features a dancer in a large, empty studio with strong sunlight streaming through industrial windows (00:19). Another shows a person in a red shirt dancing on a wooden dock over windy water (02:29). A third scene is in a forest setting, focusing closely on feet stepping on autumn leaves (05:19). Other settings include a city street with parked cars (06:31), a rooftop overlooking a cityscape with solar panels and HVAC units (07:22), and an indoor cafe setting (03:47). The performer responds physically to every visual cue, moving from standing poses to deep squats, floor work (02:47), and expressive hand gestures that mirror the on-screen action, demonstrating high-level, on-the-spot improvisation. The performance concludes with the credits screen (08:21), which names Scott McPhanters as the performer and Jorge Cousineau as the programmer/scorer.