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Human-AI Dance

Dancing Embryo

Diego Marín & Benedikte Wallace - England, 2022

THE PROJECT

Dancing Embryo is one of the artistic manifestations of the project Human-AI Dance.

Premiered in 2022, and toured interonationally, it includes performance art and an interactive installations where human and AI creativity converge.

More than generative dance technologies, the project develops practical methodologies for performers to meaningfully engage with machines within artistic processes.

[ ‘Embodying the Artificial: Dance and human-AI co-creativity’ ]

HUMAN-AI DANCE PERFORMANCE

Dancing Embryo presents a real-time collaborative performance between a human and an AI dancer.

Using motion tracking technologies, an AI-generative dance model trasnforms the avatar’s movement in response to the human dance. The dancer follows a specific methodology: not only shaping the movements of the AI, but also allowing himself to be shaped in return by the behavior of the avatar.

What emerges is a human–AI kinematic relationship that exists only through the act of dancing.

These dance pieces are performed by Diego Marín and an AI Dancer developed by Benedikte Wallace.

[ What does it mean to move with a presence that does not feel, breathe, or remember?]

Dancing Embryo Tour 2024

[ The ‘Human-AI Dance project’ ]

PERFORMATIVE INSTALLATION

Dancing Embryo works on the development of two possible displayments installed in open interactive places such as galleries or museums. The project includes AI software, video introduction for users, development of protocol for the creative lab and technological/spatial installation at the venue.

TEAM

Diego Marín

PhD fellow at University of Oslo. Professor in the Master of Performing Arts at Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. Diego is an established dance artist and researcher, he has lectured at the CFI University of Cambridge and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. He is graduated from Choreomundus: International Master in Dance and current PhD candidate at RITMO Centre of the University of Oslo.

Benedikte Wallace

She earned her PhD at the University of Oslo (RITMO Centre) and is now a Postdoctoral researcher exploring expressive motion in robots. Her work bridges art and technology, with extensive research on generative AI for music and dance. She is also the creator of the AI Dancer featured in this project.

6A9 | Audiovisual production

6A9 is a Creative studio focused on audiovisual production directed by Arturo Rentería and Alvaro Arriola. They are creatives and producers of visual and sound content of the project.

BOOK

Embodying the Artificial

All research outcomes from Dancing Embryo have been published in a peer-reviewed book

ENGAGE WITH THE FULL RESEARCH

[ Available in Spanish and English ]

OPEN ACCESS PUBLICATIONS

Artistic Statement

Diego Marín

Artificial Intelligence and humans:
Understanding a new language for the creation of aesthetic movement.

Enacting Dance Experience Through Human-AI Kinematic Collaboration

Diego Marín

Documenta Journal

Volume 42: Dancing Machines

https://doi.org/10.21825/documenta.93276

The beginning

In 2021, Diego and Benedikte started exploring the sonification of dance by using wearables to produce music while dancing. Later in 2022, both produced research plattforms such as the workshop 'Embodying AI' at University of Arts London and the presentation 'Human-AI Dance: hybrid co-creativity in the posthuman era' at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (University of Cambridge). Diego and Benedikte’s AI Dancer performed live in the conference 'Human+AI Collaborive performance' in 2022, where 6A9 joined the project to later produce the dance film "Dancing Embryo".

In 2023 Dancing Embryo earned the 'SACPC Interdisciplina y Transdisciplina' award (Cultural Ministry of Mexico) to disseminate perspectives on Human-AI creative collaboration in the cultural industries through a series of talks, performances and the publication of the book "Encarnando lo Artificial" (Embodying the artificial).

Its English edition is being published by Intellect Books and Chicago University Press, available in spring 2026.

What happens when Art meets AI?

Benedikte Wallace at TEDxArendal Oslo

Media

PRESS

"Diego Marin's project is recognised and supported by the LCFI University of Cambridge for challenging the boundaries of the intersection of the arts and contemporary technology."

Government of Mexico (2022)

[español]

México y la danza del futuro

By the Mexican Cultural Centre UK

(Content in Spanish)

Danza híbrida: creación humana y artificial

By Universidad Internacional de la Rioja

(Content in Spanish)

MEDIA

[norsk]

Danser med avatar

By UNIFORUM

(April, 2026)

Mechanical Fragility: Dance + Technology

By Danseinformasjonen

(August, 2025)

MEDIA

[english]

Artificial intelligence and dance

By the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing

(Dance Magazine Issue 498)

(Be)coming

Dancing Embryo

Dancing Embryo

THE PROJECT

Dancing Embryo is one of the artistic manifestations of the project Human-AI Dance.

Premiered in 2022, and toured interonationally, it includes performance art and an interactive installations where human and AI creativity converge.

More than generative dance technologies, the project develops practical methodologies for performers to meaningfully engage with machines within artistic processes.

Read more:

[ ‘Embodying the Artificial: Dance and human-AI co-creativity’ ]

HUMAN-AI DANCE PERFORMANCE

Dancing Embryo presents a real-time collaborative performance between a human and an AI dancer.

Using motion tracking technologies, an AI-generative dance model trasnforms the avatar’s movement in response to the human dance. The dancer follows a specific methodology: not only shaping the movements of the AI, but also allowing himself to be shaped in return by the behavior of the avatar.

What emerges is a human–AI kinematic relationship that exists only through the act of dancing.

These dance pieces are performed by Diego Marín and an AI Dancer developed by Benedikte Wallace.

Read more

[ What does it mean to move with a presence that does not feel, breathe, or remember?]

Dancing Embryo Tour 2024

Read more:

[ The ‘Human-AI Dance project’ ]

PERFORMATIVE INSTALLATION

TEAM

Diego Marín

Benedikte Wallace

6A9 | Audiovisual production

BOOK

Embodying the Artificial

All research outcomes from Dancing Embryo have been published in a peer-reviewed book

ENGAGE WITH THE FULL RESEARCH

OPEN ACCESS PUBLICATIONS

Artistic Statement

Diego Marín

Enacting Dance Experience Through Human-AI Kinematic Collaboration

Diego Marín

The beginning

What happens when Art meets AI?

PRESS

"Diego Marin's project is recognised and supported by the LCFI University of Cambridge for challenging the boundaries of the intersection of the arts and contemporary technology."

MEDIA

[español]

México y la danza del futuro

Danza híbrida: creación humana y artificial

MEDIA

[norsk]

Danser med avatar

Mechanical Fragility: Dance + Technology

MEDIA

[english]

Artificial intelligence and dance

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