Breaking Out of a Niche: Merging Dance, Performance, Public Interaction, Video and Visual Art

As someone who has spent years navigating the worlds of choreography, movement direction and filmmaking, I’ve always found myself drawn to the fusion of the above and anything else the happens to come along. But what happens when you push things even further? What happens when you intentionally step outside of the confines of a single medium, embracing the fluidity and overlap between dance, performance, community interaction and video art?

In my recent project, I set out to do just that. Originally, the project was to focus on aspects of age but it grew and morphed into something more complex bringing the unexpected along the way. it wasn’t just an experiment in blending genres; it became an exploration of the boundaries between art forms, and the possibilities that emerge when those boundaries are dismantled. It took place in a visual arts gallery, Visual Container Box in Milano, a space traditionally reserved for the display of visual and digital arts. But for the Dance With Me project, the gallery became a site of interaction, motion, and transformation where dance, performance, public engagement and visual art coexisted and collided.

At the core of Dance With Me was a simple idea: to merge the kinetic energy of dance and the immersive power of audience involvement with the visual world of video. The challenge was to create a space where all these elements could exist in dialogue, not just co-exist as separate parts. The gallery was both a backdrop and a participant in the performance. The public wasn’t just an observer; they were part of the experience and the final artistic product, their movements and actions influencing the flow of the work in real-time.

As a choreographer and filmmaker, I often think about movement as a tool. But here, movement wasn’t just a language—it was a bridge between the audience, the space, and the work itself. There was a certain magic that emerged when people became active participants, interacting with myself and the space in ways that felt unpredictable, spontaneous, and full of possibility.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this project was the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the creative process. Something completely new to me that would require a whole separate post.

In the gallery, there was no clear line between what was “art” and what was the “audience’s experience.” And in real time, it didn't matter. The "overlap" created new spaces with new potential.

So the whole experience got me thinking...Do you really need a niche? Or should you break out? As a choreographer, director, and filmmaker, I’ve often felt that each profession abides by its own set of rules and expectations. But more creativity and innovation happens when you step outside of these boundaries.

In a world that increasingly demands specialization, it’s important to remember that art forms aren't meant to be confined. 

The Dance with Me/AGEability project wasn’t just an experiment; it was a true journey.  It was a reminder that art isn’t just about mastering one thing; it’s about pushing beyond your comfort zone, blending what you know with what you don’t (in my case AI tools), and embracing the freedom that comes with that exploration.

The fusion of dance, performance, visual arts, and AI opened up new possibilities not only for how we create but for how we experience art. And perhaps, most importantly, it reminded me that creativity has no boundaries, except the ones we place on it ourselves.

A huge thanks goes out to Visual Container Box and Alessandra Arno for bravely accompanying me on this path.