Founded in 2010 Anarchy Dance Theatre is a performance company centered on modern dance, and actively incorporated cutting edge technology in its creative productions. Starting from “Seventh Sense” (2011), “Second Body” (2015) to “The Eternal Straight Line” (2019), they investigate how technology interacts with choreography. In 2015, “Second Body” triggered the discussion about how the definition of body changes because of technological advancement. The discussion also included that how Cyborg impacts the human body and the possibilities of division between the body and its meaning. The creative process of which serves as a focal point for contemplating how we connect and relate to one another as humans. Anarchy also actively incorporates cutting edge technology in its creative productions, serving as a reflection on the potentials and limits of our use of technology. Working upon observations of the physical body in motion, the company builds its norm-breaking productions that explore time, space, objects, and the relationship between humans and their society. With its blend of conventional theater, dance technology and art installation, Anarchy has been a frequent guest at international arts and dance festivals, and was named as one of 2016’s dance companies of the year by the German dance magazine “Tanz”. Their 2019 production “The Eternal Straight Line” was nominated for the 18th annual Taishin Arts Award. Expanding his previous work Second Body, choreographer HSIEH Chieh-hua explores the dramatic transformation of human body enabled by technology in CyborgEros.In CyborgEros, allows both on-site and off-site audience to manipulate the dancers’ physical movements with software and even replace the dancers with audience members’ own bodies. Different perspectives challenge the perception that seeing is believing and the distinction between the stage and audience is blurred. A culmination of a series of HSIEH’s previous works, the piece explores the definition of reality when one cannot tell human flesh from its digital extension. The combination of virtual and in-person performance supported by enhanced AI recognition and algorithm technologies will give the audience a physical experience of the total chaos about to be unleashed by technology.
Chieh-Hua Hsieh
Artistic director of Anarchy Dance Theatre. Hsieh's works are composed of a special texture derived from his background in architecture, possessing strong structural characteristics—a creative perspective combining time, space and energy. Notable choreographic works include The Eternal Straight Line (2019), Second Body (2015) and Seventh Sense (2011), all of which feature a strong element of interactive dance performance. In addition to receiving great public acclaim, his works have also been featured at numerous prominent international festivals, including Ars Electronica, TodaysArt Festival, and George Town Festival. The dance-installation series You Choreograph and Exercise done in collaboration with fellow choreographer I-Fen Tung and Ko-Yang Chang, further pushes the boundaries of expression in dance beyond conventional “performance”. In addition to his choreographic work, Hsieh also served as the director for the opening ceremony of the 2017 Summer Universiade.
Interview by ANNA MARIA MONTEVERDI to JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh, the artistic director of ADT
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh: Dear ANNA, Your inquiries are incredibly insightful. In fact, many of the topics you raised are still evolving and being explored. As you are well aware, the landscape of AI has undergone a monumental transformation from 2019—the year we first began conceiving and creating CyborgEros—to where we stand today in 2026. This evolution continues at a staggering pace, with no signs of slowing down or reaching a plateau. Your questions have brought to the surface many aspects that we still need to reflect upon and define. I want to express my deepest gratitude to you; your inquiries prompted me to reconsider numerous dimensions of my work, allowing me to reorganize my thoughts and strengthening my conviction in the direction I am pursuing.
AMM: What has changed in your creative process with AI? How do you relate to this new machine?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh: AI has impacted my process on two levels. Practically, it functions as a powerful collaborator for rapid prototyping. I can discuss ideas with AI and it guides me in generating code—whether in TouchDesigner, Python, or command-line environments—allowing me to test concepts immediately without needing the entire technical team present. This significantly accelerates the pace of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Conceptually, I relate to AI as a bridge between the physical and digital
worlds. As a movement practitioner, I am fascinated by how the “knowledge” of human interaction can be translated into the digital realm, eventually merging the two into a singular interactive experience. Especially, not the knowledge about science or logical matter, our body also has a huge amount of “knowledge”. So how AI can learn from there and how AI see us becomes a angle that I start to pursuit.
AMM: Liam Young speaks of “Data Dramatization” — do you consider your performances part of this concept, and how would you interpret it in relation to your work?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh Although, I am not familiar with the concept of Liam Young’s Data Dramatization. But, I guess, YES. in the sense that AI’s algorithmic foundation is built upon massive learning and self-classification of data. Human movement carries emotions, intentions, and personality. When we treat moving images or kinetic machines as a “new body,” we are essentially dramatizing the data of human motion to convey the same sense of social contact and intuitive feeling found in physical interaction.
AMM: Do you consider the algorithm a dramaturgical agent? If so, how do you conceive its role?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh Absolutely. Unlike traditional fixed algorithms where 1+1=2, AI is non-
deterministic. It possesses a quality of “real-time presence.” In my work, I treat AI as a performer. Just as a dancer remembers choreography but stays “alive” by adjusting their breath and timing in the moment, AI interacts with its environment in a way that cannot be fully pre-defined. This unpredictability gives the algorithm a sense of “existence” and agency within the live performance. Meanwhile, AI builds its knowledge by absorbing the world, forming its own unique way of seeing. During the making process of
CyborgEros, I found myself captivated by the worldview that behind the AI. I wanted to discover how we might live alongside it—finding a shared existence between the human and the artificial intelligence.
AMM: How does a dancer relate to AI during the creative process? What kind of AI system do you use?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh In CyborgEros, the dancer related to AI as a “digital mirror.” The AI learned
the dancer’s form and movements, creating a digital alter-ego. This allowed the dancer to see themselves reflected in the digital world, re-evaluating their relationship with space. AI allows us to imagine a state where all bodies are integrated into a single, unified physical system. Learning has always been a
human advantage; thus, our creative direction focuses on how dancers can re-train their physical intelligence to coexist with this new ‘body’ of AI. By 2026, the relationship has become more complex; we use advancedgenerative models (integrated with systems like TouchDesigner and Python) that respond to the dancer’s presence with a level of immediacy that feels like a dialogue between two living entities. Or it is a fluid exchange where two living entities constantly shift places, eventually reaching a point of mutual
existence where it is impossible to distinguish ‘you’ from ‘me’.
AMM: Could you briefly describe the performance’s themes, structure, and conceptual focus?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh CyborgEros explores how we inhabit a digital existence that is no longer singular, but a complex web of imagery, algorithms, and physical manifestations that cycle back into data. Our bodies, with their innate ability to learn and adapt, serve as our compass. They allow us to navigate these
evolving digital terrains and find a harmonious synergy where the virtual and the physical breathe together. Starting from the digital intimacy of the pandemic, the piece immerses us in a world ruled by screens, challenging the body to adapt to its new digital body. As we delve deeper into the layers of AI and algorithms, the boundary between the virtual and the physical body begins to dissolve. This journey
culminates in a transformation of consciousness, granting us a new wisdom to guide our physical and digital selves through the dawn of the digital age.
AMM: Is there a balanced combination of technologies, or does AI take on a distinct role within the overall structure?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh While we continue to use motion tracking and video mapping, I feel that AI has shifted from being a “tool for visual effect” to a “performer in the structure.” It doesn’t just display what we’ve programmed; it decides how to manifest based on the data it receives in the moment. This gives AI a distinct, active role that coordinates and breathes life into the other integrated technologies.
AMM: Does algorithmic theater represent a continuation of multimedia theater, or a distinct shift in language and ontology?
JEFF Chieh-hua Hsieh It represents a distinct shift. Multimedia theater often uses digital environments as a sophisticated scenography—a backdrop. (I mean to create what we can “see”). However, “Algorithmic Theater” changes the ontology of the performance because the “media” now has the capacity to “learn” and “react” unpredictably. It moves theater from a state of “reproduction” (playing back media) to a state of “evolution” (performing in the moment), which fundamentally alters the theatrical language of time and presence.