This was a collaborative interactive installation, built in partnership with CMD Rotterdam students for our client Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. Our challenge was to engage young people — an audience that doesn’t typically show interest in modern dance. To bridge the gap, we designed a deeply personal experience centered on the rhythm of the visitor’s own heartbeat. Using BLE heartbeat sensors, we captured real-time biometric data and turned it into the core of the installation’s interactive and emotional storytelling. Alongside it, we imagined a web platform where participants could go further: getting to know the dancers, exploring heartbeat notes shared by others.
The heartbeat data was creatively transformed into a personalised torus knot, symbolising a unique connection between the participant and a dancer. The knot became a visual signature of their heartbeat. Participants could then “pour their hearts out” by sharing messages inspired by the experience, visible to others on the web platform. The platform became a space for reflection and shared connection, amplifying the sense of community around the project.
For this project I had to learn about BLE sensors and how to visualise data, but also how to work with a team and communicate effectively to bring our ideas to life. Over six weeks, we designed, built, and refined an installation that connected participants with modern dance in a way that hadn’t been done before. Project source on GitHub.
