Surveillance in Motion is an interactive dance incubator that examines surveillance, consent, and digital presence. This project begins with an experimental incubator that takes place over 2 weeks and invites artists to create a 5 minute solo responding to one of six surveillance pillars: Security, Transparency, Documentation, Privacy, Stress, or Control. Their creation processes will take place under various forms of surveillance including live observation, video recording, online presence, biometric tracking, and/or wearable data collection, and will require participants to routinely share reflections on their feelings throughout the process. This project will culminate in a hybrid, in-person and live-streamed public performance followed by a Q&A in May 2026.

Artists will be awarded a $750 stipend and dedicated studio space to cultivate their solo creations. They will develop an original score in collaboration with a composer, shaped by their assigned pillar and their early conceptual investigations of surveillance.

Designed for New York City’s diverse artistic community and the general public, SiM integrates dance, technology, live streaming, and facilitated dialogue to examine how constant observation shapes artistic expression and personal agency. SiM addresses urgent questions surrounding technology, privacy, and authorship, inviting audiences into the creative process itself. ETD’s longstanding commitment to mentorship and community engagement ensures the project reaches both professional artists and underserved communities. This project is supported by DCLA/CDF funding, enabling ETD to provide a supported creative environment for research-driven, process-based work that sits at the intersection of dance, technology, and embodied data.