Animating dance and dancing with animation: a retrospective of forever falling nowhere

Experimental animation and contemporary dance share a number of concepts, including the abstraction of ideas and themes, seeking to communicate with an audience through movement, syncopation, shape, and rhythm. Within this paper the authors investigate communication through movement within these two forms, firstly through discussion of professional experimental animation and dance performances and secondly through specific analysis of the digital dance performance Forever Falling Nowhere. The paper documents discussion with the choreographer, dancer, animator and the audience, seeking to examine the connection between the concept of the piece, the use of movement to imply meaning from the point of view of each of the creators and the audiences' perception. The paper will conclude by reflecting upon the importance of interpretation within experimental works asking if Norman McLaren's definition of animation can be used to draw deeper meaning from digital performances.