FINDING OUR WAY

This demo features dancer and choreographer Raven Bright performing with ¡Otro!—an innovative motion-sonification system that transforms not only movement, but also the spatial relationships between performers into immersive sound. Developed by Drew Trujillo, ¡Otro! uses motion and proximity sensors to turn each gesture, distance, and intersection on stage into a living soundscape.

As Raven moves, approaches, and shifts within the space, the system generates real-time audio, making visible and audible the often-invisible dynamics of connection, separation, and belonging. This interplay of body, technology, and environment becomes a metaphor for the complexities of Indigenous identity—highlighting both the ruptures caused by assimilation and the creative possibilities of reconnection.

Rooted in Indigenous and collaborative creative practices, ¡Otro! offers a new way for artists to tell their stories: one in which the music arises from their own movements and relationships, not imposed from the outside. The result is a deeply immersive experience that invites audiences to reconsider the boundaries between performer and sound, tradition and innovation, and the ways we find each other across distance.

Credits:
Raven Bright (Diné (Navajo), Dibéłizhiní (Black Sheep Clan)) – Performer
Justin Giehm (Diné (Navajo) and German) – Assistant Director
Josh Tafoya (Indo-Hispano) – Costume Designer
Debarati Das – Videographer
Drew Trujillo (Mexica Mestizo) – Technical Director, Sound Designer