Mixing mathematics and arts is not merely painting by numbers.
That's the way Eric Stern and Karl Schaffer think. And it makes sense.Stern and Schaffer are are the founders of the Dr. Schaffer & Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble, a four-man company that incorporates math, biology, music, puzzles and character animation into dance.
"In the beginning, we talked about how we choreographed," said Stern, a dance professor at Weber State University who also has a degree in biology. "There was a lot of math going into it. We calculated the music and the movements all the time. We both decided to emphasize the mathematical ideas in our choreography more and more."
The blending of numbers and dance is logical, said Stern. But Schaffer was a little more reserved in his approach.
"At first, I was concerned about blending the two ideals," said Schaffer, who holds a doctorate in mathematics. "I didn't want to do one with the other, but as we talked about the choreography, I realized there was more math involved than I thought.
"Actually, after Eric and talked about the probability of focusing on math in the dancing, I began to see that there is math in virtually everything you do," he said.
Patterns and other collective mechanisms are some examples of mathematical art, Schaffer explained. And then there's geometry.
"Our purpose is to get people to view things in different perspectives," he said. "A new way of seeing art is always important."
The Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble formed in 1989, while the two artistic directors were college students.
"From the very start, before the math emphasis, we had always tried to make dance using various subjects," Stern said. "We did a work called `Four-footed Hamlet,' a spoken/dance version of Shakespeare. We used dance to explain different ideas."
From there the ensemble began combining visual art and audience participation as part of the program.
"We don't really say this is a multimedia performance," Stern said. "It's not a `high-tech' collage, but rather an intimate performance that can teach math through movement."
Schaffer and Stern were soon joined by Christopher Jones and Scott Kim.
Jones is a gymnastics and street-dance teacher who has trained as a boxer and has a degree in character animation. Kim, a computer science graduate, is an independent designer of educational software, puzzles and graphic art.
The result of these different backgrounds and ideas was a dance/-theater company that addressed a wide range of subjects through movement, props and action.
"Math, humor, dance and the thinking process are our elements," Stern said. "It's fun, entertaining and great for families."
- THE DR. SCHAFFER & MR. STERN DANCE ENSEMBLE will peform at Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden at 7:30 p.m., May 15. Tickets are available for $7.50, $5.50 and $3.50 at the Dee Events Center or by calling 1-800-WSU-TIKS. Tickets will also be available at the door one hour before curtain.
As a prelude to the performance, the ensemble will present a roomful of math puzzles and games for people of all ages a half-hour before curtain time (7-7:30) at no extra cost.