Person exploring an augmented reality system

Courses

The Embodied Media Research Group (EMRG) provides a creative research framework to support and enhance courses taught by Professor John Crawford and associated faculty at UC Irvine. These courses engage and challenge technology-savvy art makers, storytellers and designers, providing opportunities to enhance creativity and develop new skills in socially engaged artmaking, connected design and emergent media production.

Current Courses

Dance & Video for MFA Students

Fall 2026

Dance & Video for MFA is a graduate-level introduction to video and computer technologies for dance, with a particular focus on performance representation. This is an experiential course including hands-on training in video production and editing. It surveys methods for integrating dance performance with the film medium, discusses related aesthetic and conceptual issues, and introduces current techniques and technologies for video and audio recording of dance performance.

Dance & Video

Planned for Winter 2027

Dance & Video is an introduction to video and computer technologies for dance, with a particular focus on performance representation. This is an experiential course including hands-on training in video production and editing. It surveys methods for integrating dance performance with the film medium, discusses related aesthetic and conceptual issues, and introduces current techniques and technologies for video and audio recording of dance performance.

Screendance

Planned for Spring 2027

Screendance is an introduction to screendance for choreographers. Also known as dance film, cinedance, videodance and/or dance for the camera, screendance connects film (and filmmaking) with dance (and dancemaking) in an evolving hybrid performative practice. More than simply the recorded representation of a performance, screendance combines choreography and cinematography to create a new artifact that is a work of art in and of itself.

Previously Taught

Media Performance: Coastal Flux

Winter 2026

Media Performance: Coastal Flux is a special course for art makers interested in combining performance with video and audio media creation. Students will work as media creators and/or performers on artistic projects concerned with the impact of human interventions in coastal environments. In addition to learning media creation skills, students will have the opportunity to engage with guest choreographers in modern, contemporary and ballet forms, including both improvisational and pre-composed choreographic methods.

Dance for Camera

Winter 2023

Dance for Camera is an introduction to screendance for choreographers. Also known as dance film, cinedance and/or videodance, screendance connects film (and filmmaking) with dance (and dancemaking) in an evolving hybrid performative practice. More than simply the recorded representation of a performance, screendance combines choreography and cinematography to create a new artifact that is a work of art in and of itself.

Online Performance

Fall 2022

Online Performance is an introduction to creating and presenting fully online live performances. With recent advances in smartphones, computers and online technologies, anyone with a social media account can produce compelling online performance events at low or no cost. This course goes beyond the basics to introduce a range of different live performance platforms and how to use them most effectively. It's suitable for graduate and undergraduate students in any performing arts discipline.

Motion Tracking

Spring 2021

Motion Tracking is an introduction to motion tracking for intermedia performance, intended for dancers and other performing artists. Demonstrations, discussion and experiential exercises provide practical experience with motion tracking concepts and techniques. Students work on experimental projects that intersect arts, design and technology through collaborative multimodal creation, with a showcase at the end of the term.

Immersive Digital Art

Fall 2020

Immersive Digital Art explores how artists and designers use interactive digital systems to create immersive media experiences. These are environments that use illusory and physical cues to give participants the impression that they are inside of an experience. Case studies show how theatre, visual art, music and dance play a central role in developing immersive digital media. Students create a speculative design proposal for their own immersive media project.

Image Credit: Kitreel