Original Kinect Performance

A forgotten early attempt at a performance combining electronic technology and dance was made into a film recently: http://scienceandfilm.org/films.php?film_id=90

In the 1920s, Leon Theremin invented an electronic instrument that he called the theremin. The pitch and volume could be controlled by the perform moving their arms through a magnetic field emitted by the machine.

He later designed instruments that were controlled by the whole body, and incorperated them into dance performaces. Why did this not evolve into a new art form? Perhaps he was just too visionary for other people to notice. On the other hand, combining two completely different mediums, each difficult on their own, perhaps created a situation where it was impossible for the perform to express themselves in a controlled fashion. With new technology such as the Kinect, artists now have the job of figuring out how to work as a team with the computer, striking a balance between automation and difficultly in controlling their performance.