HUANG YI & KUKA

HUANG YI & KUKA

Acclaimed Taiwanese choreographer, dancer and inventor Huang Yi and his robot companion KUKA blend razor sharp precision and stunning artistry, harmoniously weaving together the art of dance and the science of mechanical engineering in a poetic work, flawlessly intertwining modern dance and visual arts with the realm of robotics.  

HUANG YI & KUKA reveals humanity through a series of vignettes between live dancers and KUKA, a robot conceptualized and programmed by Huang; a rigorous undertaking because a single minute of choreography takes 10-20 hours of programming. Joined onstage by dancers Hu Chien and Lin Jou-Wen, HUANG YI & KUKA is a process of beautifying the sorrow and sadness of Huang’s childhood; an expression of loneliness, self-doubt, self-realization, and self-comfort. “Dancing face to face with a robot is like looking at my own face in a mirror… I think I have found the key to spin human emotions into robots.”

A seamless synthesis of soul, ingenuity and innovation, HUANG YI & KUKA is a groundbreaking work that continues to captivate global audiences, celebrating the future of humanity and technology. It has been presented globally stages at Ars Electronica Festival (Austria), TED Conference (Vancouver), NYU Abu Dhabi (UAE), Holland Dance Festival (The Netherlands), and Festival International Cervantino (Mexico), among others.

△ Huang Yi, Kuka, and Joshua Roman on stage at TED2017 – The Future You, April 24-28, 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo: Ryan Lash / TED

△ Dancer & Choreographer & Engineer / Huang Yi | Photo / Huang Yi
舞者暨編舞者與程式設計師 / 黃翊 ｜ 攝影 / 黃翊

△ Dancer & Choreographer & Engineer / Huang Yi | Photo / Huang Yi
舞者暨編舞者與程式設計師 / 黃翊 ｜ 攝影 / 顏翠萱

△ ▽ Dancer / Huang Yi | Photo / Summer Yen
舞者 / 黃翊 ｜ 攝影 / 顏翠萱

△ Huang Yi | Photo / Hsu Ping
黃翊 ｜ 攝影 / 許斌

Co-Production I 3LD Art & Technology Center, NYC (World Premiere, NYC, February 2015)

Commission I Quanta Arts Foundation, Taiwan Support I Ministry of Culture, Taiwan

Management & Booking I Sozo Artists, NYC