Neon Dance on creating P U L S E, showcasing in Swindon this week

One Dance UK member, Neon Dance, is continuing its exploration of movement, perception, and technology with P U L S E, an interactive installation presented as part of Festival of Tomorrow in Swindon.

“At Neon Dance, we’ve been exploring how movement and technology intersect to deepen our understanding of the body and its relationship to space and sound,” explains founder Adrienne Hart. “Building on previous experiments — Mechanical Bloom and last year’s Sonic Body Lab — P U L S E investigates the subtle sensory responses of the human body.”

Each interactive tile in P U L S E contains a single artificial “hair” that reacts to touch and movement with sound. By engaging with these micro-sensors, participants experience the tiny nerve endings that detect even the smallest movement — a poetic, tangible way to explore how our bodies perceive and shape the world. P U L S E is part of Neon Dance’s long-term collaboration with Dr Hemma Philamore and composer Sebastian Reynolds, where technology becomes a partner in choreographing movement and sound, rather than just a tool.

The project experiments with the body’s sensory thresholds, creating an immersive dialogue between human perception and responsive objects, and revealing new possibilities for embodied experience in dance and performance.

Practical information: The installation is open 14–19 February, 10am–4pm at Swindon Designer Outlet, Unit 79B (opposite Whittards). Entry is free, drop-in visitors welcome.