Choreographer: Holly Jaycox
Sound Score: Nathan McWilliams

DETOUR is an experimental site-specific walk-through dance piece where the audience is guided by music and instructions on their headphones through areas activated by dancers. They audience is asked to think more deeply about the experience of “being” and engage deeply with each present moment.

– Link to 30 second sound teaser –

Notes on the Sound Design: Six original works of music, one for each station in the journey, were created for this experience. Along with each dance score, the sound score explored ideas of stillness, being present, and relationships with normal objects we take for granted in everyday life. Each audience member had agency for how to frame their perspective, how long to stay in each station, and their own depth of engagement. Although about 30 minutes of music was created, the average guest experience was about 45 minutes; many audience members decided to repeat portions of the sound score until they were ready to proceed.

Notes on the Systems Engineering: The show relied upon audio playback from an audience member’s own phone. The music could be streamed or downloaded from the website. If the audience hadn’t brought their own headphones that day, they could check-out headphones from the greeting station or bring their own. There were no sophisticated controls for operating this show; each audience member was in control of their own playback. As this as the first performance was a test if the design and choreography would work with an audience, future versions may use alternative playback systems to automatically adjust what audience members hear based on where they are standing.