Pilobolus’ latest dance in its International Collaborators Project is created with very foreign collaborators: robots. The company is working with MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and its Distributed Robotics Lab, led by Daniela Rus and a team of current and former students, to create this unusual dance between two flying robots and a dancer. Set to a Schubert piano trio, the work explores the expressive potential of machines, and presents in the process a powerful commentary on the fundamental nature of dance.

Following a preview performance at Boston’s Celebrity Series last December, The Boston Globe commented on the piece, saying “it explores how machines are us — in their relationships to one another and the people who make them.”

During the Boston performance, DRL students Wil Selby and Daniel Soltero piloted the robots from the stage via remote control. “Performing onstage with Pilobolus was an unforgettable experience,” Soltero said. “It was really incredible for me to be part of such a performance, where I learned so much and had so much fun.”

DRL's Wil Selby and Daniel Soltero, pilots of the two robots in "Seraph," sporting Pilobolus/MIT Robotics t-shirts before the show

Read the full article on the Pilobolus blog.

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