Soundpainting is a live composing sign language for musicians, actors, dancers, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation. At present the language comprises over 1200 gestures that are signed by the composer/conductor indicating the type of improvisation desired of the performers. Soundpainting is a sculpting tool. It allows a conductor to shape group improvisations in real time. The language was created by composer Walter Thompson and the Walter Thompson Orchestra (W.T.O.). The language is practiced worldwide. Read more about it at soundpainting.com
Andrea Ariel has worked with creator Walter Thompson since 1998 and is a Certified Multi-disciplinary Level 2 Soundpainter and Educator. As a designated Austin Creative Ambassador in 2014, Andrea attended the International Soundpainting Think Tank in Girona, Spain to work with 55 fellow Soundpainters from around the world.
As the only artistic company practicing and performing the art form in Austin, performances use Soundpainting to spontaneously guide, shape and remix material while familiar narratives and rehearsed material–choreography, scenes, monologues–stand to be disrupted, reordered and reassembled with new extemporaneous material.
To continue advancing the understanding of the art, Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre will be offering free Soundpainting workshops to the community. These workshops will lead to the formation of an ongoing Austin Soundpainting group lead by Artistic Director, Andrea Ariel. Open to Austinites interested in working in structured improvisation and exploring the language of Soundpainting, the ongoing group will serve as an incubator for dance, theater, music and visual and media artists leading to regular community performances and school residencies, combining the educational values that Soundpainting boasts and stimulating students’ minds and creativity. “Soundpainting breaks through boundaries, tapping into reservoirs of skills and expression that help students better understand themselves and the world in which they live, while learning and exploring the art forms of dance, theater and music,” said Ariel.
