This document summarizes a collaboration between Guy Dartnell, Dirk Püschel and Chisato Minamimura. It discusses developing a process integrating voice and movement to help the deaf Chisato access her musicality. The collaboration uses voice, movement, and acoustic technology visualizations to help Chisato internally visualize sound shapes and exchange sound-movements with others. The goal is to make her inner vocalizations accessible as a soundtrack for her choreography. The technology may also enhance deaf audiences' appreciation of sound in performance.
6. SOUND-VIBRATION SPECIALIST
Founder & Associate Director of Soundtec, Göttingen, which produces
software/equipment systems for the manufacturing and aviation industries.
8. THE IDEA
ï‚¡ The idea behind the work is that sound is visual and physical, not just aural. That a deaf person
might be able to develop their feeling connection to and use of their own voice through a
combination of the following:
 Internally ‘seeing’ or ‘visioning’ the ‘shapes’ of their own sounds through their sensory and
emotional experience of them - and turning these into movement.
 Engaging with the physical and emotional experience of exchanging ‘sound-movements’ with
other people.
 Interacting with the digitally created visual ‘echoes’ of their own sounds
 More specifically in Chisato’s case that through this synthesis of voice, movement and acoustic
technology she might access her own sense of musicality in a way so far denied to her and through
this increase her ability to actively discern the changing qualities of her own inner vocalisations, so
that they realistically become accessible to her as a ‘soundtrack’ for her own
choreography/movement.
ï‚¡ Also that the use of this specialised acoustic technology may not only be helpful as a tool within
this process, but that it may eventually also form the visual backdrop to a finished choreographic
performance or installation, that could enhance the ability of a deaf audiences to appreciate the
sound element of performance work and allow them to interact with sound in a new visual way.
10.  Project Collaborators: Guy Dartnell, Chisato Minamimura & Dirk Püschel.
ï‚¡ Performers: Flora Wellesley Wesley, Chisato Minamimura.
ï‚¡ Video: Paul Redman & Tim Lewis for Handcrafted Films.
ï‚¡ Photos: David Ball, Paul Redman.
ï‚¡ Shaping Sounds 2 is supported using
public funding by the National Lottery
through Arts Council England.
ï‚¡ Commissioned by Colchester Arts Centre
and Greenwich Dance.
ï‚¡ Supported by University of Bedfordshire,
Soundtec, DanceDigital and Heart n Soul.
ï‚¡ Produced by Step Out Arts with further administration by Dance4.
ï‚¡ Further info contact: Jih - Wen Yeh 07899 807741
jw@stepoutarts.co.uk