The article discusses a unique collaboration between physicist Ray Simmonds from NIST and dancer/choreographer Sam Mitchell to create a dance piece based on quantum physics principles. The dance, titled “Dunamis Novem,” was inspired by the nine quantized energy levels of a harmonic oscillator and demonstrates key quantum concepts like superposition, entanglement, and measurement collapse.
The dancers’ movements represent individual and collective behavior of an oscillator, with particles or quanta of energy randomly appearing and disappearing. Entanglement is shown through synchronized movements when dancers touch, while measurement is symbolized by a beam of light causing a dancer to fall out of sync.
The project aims to educate about quantum physics through a visual and physical experience, as dancers are more likely to remember choreography through visual descriptions than numbers. The performance also has practical benefits for NIST’s quantum research, which relies on quantum properties like entanglement.
The most challenging part of the project was getting dancers to understand the holistic approach and be okay with not being entirely in the spotlight. The collaboration between a physicist and a choreographer resulted in a unique performance that combines art and science to explain complex quantum concepts.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2015/05/what-quantum-physics-dancers-explain
Keywords: quantum, entanglement, superposition, oscillators, energy
