In this documentary creation, choreographer Sara Hanley invited me to document her collaborative dance project entitled 'Corps Perceptifs' with individuals belonging to the Deaf and hard of hearing communities of Montreal. Together as a group, along with a professional dancer, music composer, and writer, we explored ways of dancing (and in my case, ways of documenting) that are meaningful for an atypical sensory sensitivity. Through the use of portable recording video devices (iPods), audio recordings of movement rather than speech, tactile and vibration camera work, and LSQ live translation for interviewing, I was able to gather visual, audio, and tactile content that enacted how one doesn't need typically hear in order to dance, move and listen.

When putting together this documentary work commission, I wanted to go beyond standard video practices in which sign language interpretation leaves out certain audio content. By deciding to signal all audio content visually in the video, including every white noise, ambient sound, audio effect, music, gasp, speech, etc, the work ended up being fully equally accessible to both viewers who can atypically listen and viewers who can typically listen.

I would like to thank Sara Hanley for her faith in my very exploratory methods, and inviting me to contribute to her project.

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Thank you to Centre Turbine, Circuit-Est et Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal.