Choreografish

Choreografish is a collaboration between faculty in the University of Utah’s School of Dance, Entertainment Arts and Engineering Program and Department of Family and Consumer Studies. The purpose of the project has been to create a virtual reality environment with young adults on the autism spectrum to enable users to choreograph the swim patterns of virtual fish to music of their choice. The guiding interests include understanding the patterning impulses of people on the autism spectrum through an artistic and play-based methodology. Other goals include understanding the adaptive purposes, cognitive/motor processes and emotional effects of the act of synchronizing moving visual stimuli with music. Choreografish is an environment to spark creativity and bridge the gap between a traditionally social art form and population often acutely affected by social anxiety.