Paar is a VR dance film split between a physical and virtual world. Filmed in the historic GDR-era Tieranatomisches Theater at Berlin Charité hospital, Paar uses 360 video together with motion capture technology to follow a journey of discovery between linked bodies and theaters.

Drawing on the eerie past of the site’s animal anatomical research, two ghostly beings dance across parallel spaces, whilst discovering their human bodies and physical environment. Their movement journey imparts an energetic transmission of intimacy, curiosity and possibility via choreographic forces of glitch and fluidity. The dancers discover the tactile nature of their flesh and architectural surroundings for the first time. In Paar, dance becomes a language through which the story is told, and the scenography shifts and materializes into expansive imaginings.

In Paar, the audience stands center within the VR experience. Choreography, sound and light pull the audience to rotate in place, widening the visual periphery in 3D. The audience is invited to join the dancers in their discovery of the liminal space between virtual and physical worlds. The immersive experience reveals a transformation of past to present;avatar to human; material to immaterial existence.

The direction and choreography is devised by Carly Lave with support by Dr. Christian Stein, cofounder of gamelab.berlin, and Ghunghru Sounds founder Arushi Jain. Paar was supported by the Tieranatomisches Theater Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, gamelab.berlin, GHUNGHRU Sounds and Matters of Activity Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

Notes on Viewing:
Paar is a stereoscopic VR film which is uploaded as an .mp4 file to a VR headset for viewing and listening. Preferred headset would be the Oculus Quest 2 or HTC Vive Pro. The video player Oculus TV within the Oculus Quest is a suitable player to use for watching.

Sound can come from speakers within the headset or paired to earbuds such as AirPods. Paar can be viewed from one stationary position, either standing or seated. For an ideal viewing experience, audience members should be spaced 1 meter apart so they can rotate in place to observe the entire film.*