Tracing Codes of Body Memory

Dancers will develop individual and collective trajectories through space inspired by the mathematical code that the brain uses for movement memories. In a first step, we develop choreographed and improvised movement sequences where dancers explore processes of inscribing, overwriting, losing and re-inventing movement patterns. In a second step, we create an immersive, citizen-lab, installation where visitors are able to explore their own navigational brain code through instructions based on a simplified score elaborated in the dance sequence. We track head movements and body speed, and translate virtual codes of head orientation-, and speed cells into rhythmic sound and pitch. In a third step, the final performance, the choreography will constitute a speculative space for observing the creation, loss and creative renewal of movement memory while at the same time helping the audience to grasp how our brains encode motion memories.

- All your memories are deeply and physically connected to your perception and encoding of space - Navigating our environment is a complex task that requires us to integrate information about location, direction, and distance. Our brains are equipped with an incredibly sophisticated navigation system to help us do this. This system not only monitors every movement we make but also stores all the memories associated with each place - what we saw, touched, or smelled at every location. In this way, the body's history, emotions, and physical capabilities are all part of the navigational system and intertwined with movement memories. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded for discovering this incredible, GPS-like positioning system in the brain. It consists of several neuronal cell types forming a coding system for body movements following strict mathematical principles. Among others, head direction cells fire when facing a certain direction, functioning like an internal compass. Grid cells map a hexagonal grid onto the floor, thereby measuring position and distance in space. Finally, place cells in the hippocampus code for unique positions visited in the world. How does the brain process spatial relationships and movement? The brain replays movement trajectories once the body rests. Upon lots of repetitions, they are then formed into coherent memories. Unfortunately, if you have lesions in these areas or suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, you might lose your ability to find your way—and your ability to recall memories along your navigational map.