Hiatus — An Immersive Choreographic Experience

Hiatus is an immersive virtual reality experience developed by z1 studio, bringing together contemporary dance, Japanese mythology, and real-time digital environments to explore the fragile balance between destruction and regeneration.

Set in a post-nuclear landscape, the story begins with a catastrophic explosion that transforms a once-lush ecosystem into a world of ashes. As the mysterious nine-headed dragon Kuzuryû spreads darkness and threatens the survival of plant life, ancient creatures inspired by Japanese folklore, known as Yokai, awaken. Divided between opposing forces, these creatures become the protagonists of a struggle to restore light and the natural balance of the world.

At the heart of Hiatus is an exploration of movement as a narrative language. Rather than relying on dialogue, the story unfolds entirely through contemporary dance. Using motion capture, the movements of dancers are transferred onto fantastical, non-human creatures, preserving the expressiveness of the human body while exploring new forms of physicality.

We developed a real-time production system in Unreal Engine 5, connecting motion capture, procedural environments, and reactive sound design. The dancers' movements directly influence the virtual landscape and its sonic composition, while sound, in turn, shapes the choreography. This reciprocal relationship transforms the environment into an active participant in the performance.

The experience also explores multiple perspectives, allowing audiences to inhabit the viewpoints of different creatures. Each perspective offers a distinct perception of movement, scale, space, and sound, creating a polyphonic narrative within the same virtual world.

Currently in development, Hiatus is conceived as a twenty-minute immersive experience structured in nine sequences, where dance, sound, and virtual environments form an interconnected living system.

Credits

Written by
Lucien Salmon

Directed by
Laurent Novac & Camille de Dieu — z1 studio

Developer
Camile De Martino

Concept Artist
Pierre-Julien Fieux

3D Artist
Esteban Guedon

Music
Gymkhana

Movement Coordinator
Marion Baeriswyl

Dancers
Erin O'Reilly
Luisa Schöfer

Production
z1 studio

Writing, Development & Prototyping Production
Tell me the Story

Motion Capture — Studio44 MocapLab
Studio Director: Gilles Jobin
Mocap Master: Adryan Barilliet
Lead Dance Artist: Susana Panadés Diaz

Production & Institutional Support

Écriture, développement et prototypage produit par Tell me the Story

Avec la participation de la Ville et du Canton de Genève et de l’Office fédéral de la culture

Artist in Residence — Studio44 MocapLab / Cie Gilles Jobin