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Illinois Institute of Technology
Lake Forest, IL
Prof. David Woodhouse
with Devin Gora
Fall 2017   

What is a blank canvas for a dancer? This project strives to create a void for a dancer to fill with their work. Like a theater, this studio supports all needs yet hides everything to create a seemingly endless space that can be transformed into anywhere in the world.  This studio is a new addition to the Ragdale Foundation, an artist retreat in Lake Forest, IL. This new studio aims to provide a space where young dancers can question what dance is and what it can be.

Full Video:  https://vimeo.com/247699369

We move the building to a blank site - underground in the open prairie - where there are no distractions. The path leading the dancer from the main campus to the building is the equivalent of darkening the lights in a theater - it focuses attention. Once in the studio, everything supports the act of dance and creation. The circular shape gives flexibility and an edgeless condition. Made of glass walls coated with film, the dancer can project any image she choses onto them with 12 projectors. Special mullions keep the surface continuous yet allow for total control over lighting, placement of bars, and cameras.

Selected frames from projection onto section



After dancing all day, she may retreat to the living space, which becomes a retreat from the studio - it engages the senses by drawing the site through the space with a pipe connecting to the surface and materials found in the prairie above.