RONiN

Immersive Digital Contemporary Dance
by Yukiko Masui.

2024-2026

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Ronin is a powerful contemporary dance work by choreographer Yukiko Masui, exploring themes of identity, loyalty, and internal conflict through the metaphor of the rogue samurai. Blending visceral movement with cinematic digital imagery, the piece creates a rich world where tradition and modernity clash and merge.

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As digital artist on the project, I developed a responsive visual environment that unfolds in dialogue with the dancers. Using Notch, I built a real-time 3D world — a virtual stage space that enhanced the choreographic process and shaped the final visual language of the work. Although the final show uses rendered content, the development phase drew heavily on motion tracking, real-time generative effects, and timeline-driven interactions, allowing us to prototype a responsive environment that felt alive and attuned to the performers.

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The resulting visuals — immersive, atmospheric, and emotionally charged — are tailored precisely to the choreography, drawing on cinematic textures, Japanese iconography, and abstract landscapes. The projection functions as both environment and emotional landscape, evolving alongside the narrative arc.

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Following the success of its initial R&D phase, presented at The Place in 2024, Ronin is now in development for a full-length premiere in Spring 2026.

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Credits:

Choreographer: Yukiko Masui
Digital Artist: Barret Hodgson
Sword & Fight Specialist: Kashmir Leese
Composer: Ruth Chan
Costume Assistant: Mio Jue
Dancers: Cher Nicolette Ho & Jacob Lang
Produced by: The Place (Courtney Beadle, Jasmin Andrew, Polly Dey)
Funded by: Arts Council England, Cockayne Foundation, Sasakawa Foundation, and London Community Foundation
Supported by: Kakilang