DANCE² is a dance installation about human-robot interaction and our collective feelings about technology’s influence on the future. Audiences will use their smartphones to interact with the performance, influencing the choreography of the human and robotic dancers. Through their choices, we will explore the question of whether emerging technology is bringing us closer together or pulling us farther apart.

Created through the generous support of an Arts for All ArtsAMP Collaborative Faculty Grant, UMD Immersive Media Design program, UMD School of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies, UMD College of Information Studies, UMD Department of Art, and UMD Department of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.

About NextNOW Fest

Started in 2014, The Clarice’s annual NextNOW Fest is an inspiring arts experience that celebrates imagination, creativity and community. By amplifying the voices of intriguing, inventive artists from around campus and our community, NextNOW Fest creates a forward-looking microcosm where art transforms our future and connects us all.

NextNOW Fest is a signature event in University of Maryland's Arts for All initiative, which leverages the combined power of the arts, technology and social justice to address the grand challenges of our time.

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Funding

NextNOW Fest is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council and The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Additional support is provided by Terps After Dark and the University of Maryland's Arts for All initiative. NextNOW Fest's Silent Disc-Glo event is supported by UMD's Student Entertainment Events; and the Vital Signs Mini-Grants Showcase is supported by the Venable Foundation and Pepsi.