AP Research

Technology has helped revolutionize the production and distribution of art, with social media helping creators share their work across multiple platforms and digital apps changing the way art is produced. Dance is one of the latest art forms to incorporate technology; nevertheless, the impact that it has had on education and choreography generation cannot be ignored. The integration of dance technology began during the postmodern movement (1970-1990), where teachers used film and videography to document and critique dancers. However, it is crucial to also consider the repercussions of implementing technology into the studio. Unlike traditional art, it is impossible to “watermark” a choreography, making plagiarism using technology extremely easy. Additionally, using advanced technology like artificial intelligence to choreograph a performance may challenge the authenticity of the work and change audiences’ opinions of the piece. With these repercussions in mind, it is important to consider dancers’ perceptions of implementing technology into their dance practice, which can vary across the genres of dance. Previously, there has been no research done evaluating the opinions that younger dancers (age 11-18) have regarding the use of technology in dance, as well as no research comparing perceptions across different genres. In this study, I will be analyzing middle and high school-aged dancers’ views of technology in dance based on genre. This will be done through a qualitative survey, and each of their answers will be converted to a positive or negative number depending on their response to questions regarding the use of technology in dance.