‘Huang Yi & KUKA,’ A Dance Duet Of Man and Robot, at Live Arts Miami

Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi brings his tantalizing performance of “Huang Yi & KUKA” to Miami for two nights on Friday, Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Koubek Center as part of Live Arts Miami. (Photo by Summer Yen/courtesy of Live Arts Miami)

A robot as a dance partner is perhaps not the first idea that comes to mind for a creative type.  As for Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi, a robot is precisely the type of partner he’s always envisioned.

Yi brings his tantalizing performance of “Huang Yi & KUKA” to Miami for two nights on Friday, Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Koubek Center.

The piece is part of Live Arts Miami’s Future Earth series, where the mission is to present community performances that explore the intersection of art, technology and innovation, and the environment.

“I think what we’ve learned in this Future Earth series is that there’s just far more questions than answers,” says Live Arts Miami executive director Kathryn Garcia. “And that’s an okay thing. That’s a good place to be. One of the reasons we wanted to put this forth as an offering for the community is to create spaces where we could engage in some of these discussions and ask the questions like, ‘What does this all mean for the future?’

Dancers Tai Yi-Fen and Chen Chao-Li in Huang Yi’s “Huang & Kuka” coming to Live Arts Miami in its Miami premiere on Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23. (Photo by Huang Yi/courtesy Live Arts Miami)

“Huang Yi & KUKA” is the season closer for the Future Earth series and Garcia believes it is a special way to tie the notions of art, innovation, and climate awareness together since Yi has been experimenting in this space for many years.

“That’s why artists are here,” says Garcia. “To help us key into our thoughts, our emotions, the questions we have about the world we live in. So this performance is a spectacular outlet for that.”

In addition to his performance at the Koubek Center, Yi will be in conversation with artist Natasha Tsakos as part of a Miami Book Fair panel at noon on Saturday, Nov. 23. Inside the AI Center, Building 2, first floor, at 300 NE Second Ave., the two will discuss the intersection of creativity and how innovations are transforming artistic practices.

In “Huang Yi & KUKA,” the Taiwanese choreographer attempts to tackle a few not-so-simple questions himself. He explains how he was inspired by the idea of how humans and robots can dance together.

Each minute of choreography for KUKA took hours of programming for performer Huang Yi. (Photo by Summer Yen/courtesy of Live Arts Miami)

“When a robot gains a way to see, how does it view humans, how does it view itself? How does it perceive dance? And what else does it see?,” writes Huang in an email for the Artburst interview done through a translator. “I hope to provide the audience with different perspectives from various angles, prompting collective reflection.”

While complex in the questions the dance provokes, the story itself deals with the simple notion of life — and creating life. It’s as if Yi is constructing his partner on stage for everyone to see and the audience is also seeing moments through KUKA’s point of view.

The entire performance is like a conversation between humans and robotics. Yi positions the routine to be told in segments with different dancers joining him on stage. “In one segment, I act like a doctor,” he reveals. “As I’m installing KUKA’s eyes, which are cameras, the audience can see in real-time what KUKA sees through projections on stage.”

As KUKA comes alive on stage, the audience experiences its birth. The robot essentially wakes up and starts to take in everything around it — Yi’s hands, his legs, then later its own metal hands and metal legs. It’s gaining a sense of self awareness that is crucial to life on earth.

Yi hopes “Huang Yi & KUKA” will resonate differently for everyone, which is part of the intent behind the piece, he says. When viewing the performance, the inventor recommends entering the theater with a clear, open mind. “As long as you empty your mind and enter like a blank sheet of paper, everyone can let the work leave its own unique mark on the blank page in their heart.”

As for the incentive behind Yi studying robotics, the dancer refers to his childhood. He recalls how he and his sister were to behave like model children in order to not stress their parents. In these formative years, he says he felt almost like a robot, acting in a very precise, mechanical fashion.

Dancer Hu Chien dances with a robot in “Huang Yi and KUKA” (Photo by Huang Yi/courtesy of Live Arts Miami)

“This makes me particularly empathetic toward robots because, like me, robots never refuse anyone’s requests. Therefore, in ‘Huang Yi & KUKA,’ there are many moments where KUKA and I are like mirror images of each other. I project my movement qualities onto KUKA; KUKA learns my movements; we become each other.”

He further explains their dance sequence is like a duet between his physical self and his mechanical self. KUKA’s programming, after all, is an extension of its programmer.

The smoothness of each of KUKA’s movements is stunning. The precision in the mechanics is completely awe-inspiring. For each minute of choreography for his robot, Yi spends hours working on the programming. The piece itself has been in the works for over a decade. Yi explains how as technology advances, he incorporates the new changes into his programming for KUKA and into the performance.

“The work progresses alongside technological developments,” he says. “Some technologies used in the current piece didn’t exist ten years ago. Whenever I accumulate ideas to a certain point, I might add new segments or elements.”

Whereas some see art and technology as opposing forces, “Huang Yi & KUKA” brings together the two beautifully and seamlessly.

“Huang Yi & KUKA” is meant to stir up questions about the intersection of art and technology. (Photo by Summer Yen/courtesy of Live Arts Miami)

“I believe that both art and technology are about exploring the essence and limits of things,” says Yi.

“Science explores the principles of how everything operates, thereby creating advancements that positively benefit human society. Art, through exploring human thought and inner essence, distills each era’s interpretation of beauty, becoming nourishment for the next generation of artists.”

WHAT: Live Arts Miami Presents “Huang Yi & KUKA”

 WHERE: Koubek Center Theater, 2705 SW 3rd St., Miami

 WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23

 COST: $35

 INFORMATION: (305) 237 3010 or liveartsmiami.org

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