This section explains why and how the Software Application "Body Sphere" was created, its content, and technical information about the software. A QR code is placed at the end of the text to access the "Body Sphere" Software Application.
Later on, thinking about what possibilities this App could function for and considering that it could be a medium that the audience will interact with, I came to the idea of an opportunity to digitalize the traditional hand program into a more informative apparatus.
At this juncture, I envisioned the audience getting information about the Spherical System's processes with diagrams and visuals before entering and starting the performance. So I brainstormed an application with computer engineers Denise Landini and Alessandro Lambertini, possibilities of programming a combination of visuals, movements, and commands with which the audience can interact.
We researched possibilities of subtracting elements of my method that could transform into a computer algorithm, where the body (sphere) and the tasks (commands) could generate movement sequences into many variations that could be programmed to play with.
So we came to programming the first version of the Software Application "Body Sphere," a software that offers people a better understanding of which body sphere and from which action a movement begins. The user can select a sphere of The Spherical Body Diagram and order them to see an action movement sequence.
The App allows the user to organize a sequence of five spheres (The Code the dancer decided) at the Spherical Body Diagram and, by clicking "Play," see an action movement sequence corresponding to the user's selected order. The organization displays a "Homepage" comprising all the links to reach the other pages, with a short description of the piece, the App, a short The Spherical System description, and more information. It is accessible using a web link and an internet connection, designed for mobile phones and desktops.
The software was developed in JavaScript, and the graphic design was created using HTML and CSS. More specifically, the React JavaScript library has dynamic navigation and interaction, rapid development, reusable, and integrable with future features.
Users who will utilize the application must be assumed to have no preparation adequate for using computerized systems; therefore, during the creation of the interface user, it was crucial to remember that it must be easily accessible.
· Simplicity of the user interface. The intent is to guide developers to create usable and functional applications, not to put the user difficulty using the software, and create a professional style.
· Usability. The interface has been designed to be graphically appreciable, but at the same time, the information must be organized to guarantee that users can unambiguously satisfy their objectives. This is why some instructions are put into the application shortly and comprehensively.
· Navigability. It is essential to ensure the user can access the main functions through different routes. This is why it is possible to come back to the Homepage quickly.
During one of my MA in choreography workshop intensives, we had the privilege of attending a lecture workshop by dance dramaturg Dr. Guy Cools. On the session at Codarts Dance on May 10th, 2022, Dr. Cools shared a practice he designed that generates a Mind Map inspired by the semiotic quadrant of Lithuanian literary scientist Greimas.
Dr. Cools explains in the video (2023. Private correspondence video link sent on June 5th. 2023). "It is a mind map which serves as a way to work with language, not in a rational way, but more in an associative way."
The dynamic consists of writing two relevant words for your project on a large piece of paper; the words should not be too similar or too different. By drawing triangles that join the two words, you write a new word associated with the previous ones at the top of the triangle. This new word should be the first that comes to your mind. Once you do this practice for around ten minutes, you should observe and mark the most engaging new words.
In this experience, I got the idea to add a third word before starting to associate them because since my practice is about body-mind, I wanted to try a new word. So my selection of words was "body," "thinking," and "device." This decision was a moment of insight because adding this third word before starting triangulating guided me to find words such as "Technology," "AI," and "App." At this point, I started thinking about devising my current method within digital technology by foreseeing the creation of an App.
