This innovative and ambitious artistic project intertwines dance, live and electronic music, mixed reality, video, lighting, and immersive sound, enriched by IRCAM’s advanced sound technologies and PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise headsets.
Classic meets contemporary
The performance is inspired by the iconic fairy tale, The Shadow by Hans Christian Andersen. In this story, a scholar allows his shadow to come to life and act autonomously, eventually becoming free and casting the scholar into darkness.
This vivid connection to today's world and its innovations, both fascinating and concerning, led choreographer Blanca Li and composer Édith Canat de Chizy to develop this hybrid performance.
200 audience members are invited to roam freely through the performance, wearing a PICO 4 Ultra Enterprise XR headset, and surrounded by ten dancers from the Blanca Li Company and a live percussionist.
Quentin Chevrier
During the hour-long show, they journey through an extraordinary world where tangible and virtual perceptions seamlessly combine.
XR goes beyond traditional staging by fusing live dance, physical presence, and virtual worlds into one seamless, unified experience that blurs the line between what is real and what is virtual, challenging the audience's sense of good and evil, self and identity.
Writing for Le Monde, Rosita Boisseau, said: "Spectators find themselves at the very center of the action, as the different episodes unfold and overlap all around them. Free to wander, they can also lift the visor of their headset to watch the performances of the ten flesh-and-blood dancers interacting with their virtual avatars.
"The alliance between live tableaux and virtual reality works flawlessly. It allows each spectator to shape their own version of the story — and there is plenty to explore…
"At the heart of this immersive device, the audience is not only enveloped but also pierced by bursts of intensely physical sensations. The tale unfolds as much in front of us as it does within each of us.
"This is the magic of the experience: making us mistake illusions for reality and tempting us to reach out and touch a virtual mirage."
Expanding possibilities
With XR, it becomes possible to create visuals, environments, and interactions beyond the limits of physical reality, while anchoring the experience in the real world for instant immersion.
"When I discovered this project, I very quickly imagined a parallel with what is happening today around artificial intelligence," says Li.
"We have created something that enhances our abilities and therefore our control over reality, but at the same time, this very thing that makes us more powerful may end up dominating us entirely in the near or distant future. It is incredible to see how closely this tale resonates with such a contemporary issue.
Quentin Chevrier
"When we perform certain actions online, we are asked to prove that we are not a robot. But I believe that very soon, artificial intelligence will become sophisticated enough to bypass these tests. Then it will be up to us to prove that we are human.
"It is precisely because this story has such strong resonance that it can be told using new technologies — electronics or mixed reality — and at every level, from the creation of the music to other aspects of the performance.
"It is also thrilling to be able to work at IRCAM and have access to all its resources to invent new ways of creating."
Canat de Chizy says: "When I discovered Andersen’s tale, I immediately imagined it as a choreographic piece. At first, I pictured it with just two dancers, given the relationship between the character and his shadow. That is when I thought of Blanca Li, since we had already collaborated in the past.
"When we discussed the project, Blanca very quickly mentioned mixed reality, which greatly expanded the realm of possibilities.
"If the shadow is considered the virtual element and the scholar the real one, then by introducing mixed reality and video, an entire interplay emerges between the two, opening numerous interpretative possibilities."
In addition to its creative potential, the technology can reduce production costs, boost engagement, and offer brands bespoke immersive storytelling that strengthens identity and generates memorable, shareable moments.
Quentin Chevrier
The use of XR positions the project at the forefront of innovation, powered by the most advanced technology available in the field.
Very few live productions worldwide operate at this level of XR integration. L’Ombre presents a rare opportunity to implement a high-impact creative ecosystem that combines large-scale XR, live installation, artist-driven content, and an innovative distribution format.
PICO4 Ultra Enterprise mixed reality glasses have also recently been deployed in the mixed-reality (XR) experience, Expedition ULUM: The Jurassic Awakening, at PortAventura World in Spain.
L’Ombre is produced by Film Addict - Blanca Li Company, and co-produced by IRCAM, France Télévisions, and Flash Forward Entertainment.
The production is supported by CHANEL, TAICCA, and CNC (French Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée)
Quentin Chevrier
Quentin Chevrier
Quentin Chevrier
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