Dancing Beyond Data: Tradition, Technology, and AI

Roots in Tradition and Innovation

Kaustavi Sarkar’s story begins thousands of miles away in India, where she was immersed in the rich cultural tapestry of traditional Odyssey dance. For Kaustavi, dance is more than a performance—it is an art form steeped in history, spirituality, and a deeply personal expression of identity. Even as she embarked on her academic journey, her passion for the ancient rhythms of South Asian dance remained undimmed. Pursuing a PhD in dance technology at The Ohio State University, she positioned herself at the crossroads of art and innovation, exploring how traditional movement could converse with modern digital techniques.

Blending Dance with Digital Innovation

At UNC Charlotte, Kaustavi discovered new avenues to bridge her classical roots with emerging technologies. Unable to find motion capture facilities in her new environment, she adapted by collaborating with architects and computer scientists, melding her artistic vision with the practical tools available. Her work soon expanded into the realms of 3D animation and responsive architecture—mediums that allowed her to deconstruct and reconstruct movement in innovative ways. “I collaborate for a reason—I’m not a technologist,” she explains, underscoring her belief that true creativity flourishes when specialists come together. This interdisciplinary approach culminated in her current venture: an AI-driven project called Choreo GPT, developed in partnership with Professor Poo Wang. The project aims to harness the power of large AI models to assist in the choreographic process, using data and machine learning to generate movement while preserving the soulful essence of dance.

Teaching Through Technology

Kaustavi’s pioneering spirit is equally evident in her approach to teaching. Recognizing that technology can both empower and challenge traditional methods of instruction, she has ingeniously integrated AI into her classroom. At UNC Charlotte, she uses virtual reality to bring the subtle nuances of Odyssey dance to life, allowing students to experience traditional postures in immersive digital formats. Moreover, she leverages tools like ChatGPT—not only to streamline administrative tasks like creating lesson plans and rubrics but also to spark creative exploration among her students. By requiring her students to engage in in-class writing exercises before turning to AI for narrative construction, Kaustavi ensures that technology serves as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, human creativity. This balanced approach fosters an environment where innovation and critical thought coexist.

The Sacred and the Secular

Central to Kaustavi’s work is the tension between the measurable and the ineffable—the sacred and the secular. While AI can process data at remarkable speeds, it falls short of capturing the embodied, transcendent qualities of dance. Kaustavi passionately argues that the very essence of dance—the physicality, the emotional catharsis, and the cultural heritage—is something no machine can replicate. In her view, the “sacred” nature of movement, the knowledge produced by a body exhausted after hours of practice, remains intrinsically human. Even as AI democratizes creative processes, she cautions that its reliance on pre-existing data risks “dumping down” creativity, stripping away the nuances that make each performance unique. Her work is a bold declaration that while technology can augment our understanding, the heart and soul of dance will always belong to the human experience.

Sculptural Odissi body

Live Odissi body

 Digital Odissi body