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Score

 
Mark Harding Review by Mark Harding 2 Published: 13 Aug 2025 Assembly @ Dance Base Show Dates: 12 Aug 2025-24 Aug 2025

Three dancers are wired to equipment which makes their muscles move involuntarily.

The piece prompts thoughts

We see muscles twitch in an unnatural way, but I don’t believe the majority of the performers’ movements are controlled by computer. This ambiguity isn’t a fault; anyone who has had to report a problem via online chat knows there is no practical difference between machine and human bureaucracy.

The experience is intellectual, not emotional. The piece prompts thoughts. Should technology rule us, or the other way around? The dancers largely seem unconscious of manipulation – is humanity in a “boil the frog” situation?

However, you can get those thoughts after a few minutes of the performance, or even from seeing the photograph of the dancers.

Isaiah Wilson has made interesting work in the past, but Score, while unique, has little beyond the initial concept.

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The Blurb:

Score explores the impact of technology on nature and human life. Using electric muscle stimulation (EMS), three performers' muscles are involuntarily activated, allowing choreography to be driven by computational code. The piece examines the relationship between the human body and technology, questioning how advancements meant to simplify life may disconnect us from free will and cognitive abilities. It raises ethical concerns about technologies that challenge the human body's relevance in society.