The Lost Steps
UX, UI, and video design for a ballet based on Alejo Carpentier's novel, featuring 11 semi-translucent columns with 13 different scene combinations.
About the Production
Los Pasos Perdidos (The Lost Steps) premiered in July 2016 at the Municipal Theater Enrique Buenaventura in Cali, Colombia. This ballet adaptation of Alejo Carpentier’s novel tells the story of a composer’s journey into the uncivilized jungle, traveling back through time.
Cast
National Ballet of Colombia
Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera
Music
- Georg Philipp Telemann
- Cristián Carvacho
- Alejandro Soto
- Diego Villela
- Thomas Duda
Technical Innovation
The production features 11 semi-translucent columns that serve as projection surfaces, enabling 13 different scene combinations across the ballet’s 24 musical episodes. This architectural approach to video design creates a dynamic, ever-changing environment that mirrors the protagonist’s journey through different landscapes and time periods.
Software
- Isadora
- MadMapper
Production Timeline
The complete video design was developed over 6 months, requiring careful coordination with the choreographer to ensure the projections enhanced rather than overwhelmed the dance.
The Story
A composer, weary of modern city life, embarks on a journey into the South American jungle to collect indigenous musical instruments. As he travels deeper into the wilderness, he finds himself moving backward through the stages of human civilization, eventually discovering a primitive community untouched by time.
