Experience the elegance of ballet not just from a seat in the theatre but from anywhere, anytime, using cutting-edge augmented reality (AR).
The University of Portsmouth's Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR) has joined forces with This Great Adventure (TGA) and Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) to bring dancers from the current production of Cinderella to life through the interactive mobile AR app, 'OPUS: The Next Stage' .
The app, which uses the same technology behind the extremely popular augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go, can be accessed in real time giving theatre enthusiasts the flexibility to experience the magic at a time and place that suits them.
Dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet's production of Cinderella and Nutcracker have visited the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR) to have their performance captured in full 3D and turned into augmented reality experiences.
CCIXR, the UK's first purpose-built facility for innovation in eXtended Reality (XR), has a rare collection of world-class technology under one roof including a SmartStage®, VR suite, volumetric video, and motion capture. The dancers performed in the centre's volumetric capture green screen studio where their performances were recorded in 3D.
The ballet footage was then used to create an exceptional, AR Cinderella experience which is launching in line with BRB's Cinderella opening night at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre on Thursday 6 February 2025.
Anyone can download OPUS: The Next Stage app for free and bring these amazing dancers to life wherever you are.
Meanwhile, audience members will be able to scan a QR code in a special page in their programme, enabling them to activate a dancer who will perform anywhere they desire, from the pages of the programme to the seat next to them in the theatre.
Playing performances saves them to the app's library, allowing audiences and fans to re-play their favourite AR performances, or share them with friends and family, extending engagement and recontextualising performances by placing them in unusual/unexpected places and playing with their scale.
It is always exciting to have new collaborations pushing our technical ability, and to have such a prestigious project to work on was a privilege. This is the first time we have used volumetric video to capture ballet, and seeing the principal dancers perform in our space was incredible.
We're really pleased to hear the feedback on the quality of the data produced and TGA have done a great job (alt: developing OPUS: The Next Stage as a platform for sharing them with audiences in an intuitive and accessible way) delivering it into the OPUS app. We are regularly using (alt: this project) it to showcase the capability of the technology and how it can be used to great effect in the cultural industries.
Mr Alex Counsell, Technical Director of CCIXR at the University of Portsmouth
Mr Alex Counsell, Technical Director of CCIXR at the University of Portsmouth, said: "It is always exciting to have new collaborations pushing our technical ability, and to have such a prestigious project to work on was a privilege. This is the first time we have used volumetric video to capture ballet, and seeing the principal dancers perform in our space was incredible.
"We're really pleased to hear the feedback on the quality of the data produced and TGA have done a great job (alt: developing OPUS: The Next Stage as a platform for sharing them with audiences in an intuitive and accessible way) delivering it into the OPUS app. We are regularly using (alt: this project) it to showcase the capability of the technology and how it can be used to great effect in the cultural industries."
Pete Gardom, Founder and Creative Director of This Great Adventure added: "Arts and cultural organisations need new ways to engage their audiences in an increasingly digital world. Audiences want new experiences that let them access and experience arts and culture in new ways. Working with CCIXR and their amazing immersive studio facilities, and incredible artists like Birmingham Royal Ballet's dancers and producers, we're creating OPUS: The Next Stage and exploring a new era of performance beyond the traditional stage, where art and audience can meet in new ways and unexpected places."
Recognised as "a new art form" by Innovative UK, OPUS is the next stage for creators, cultural institutions, and organisations to reach audiences and generate revenue through immersive, location-based performances and storytelling.
OPUS: The Next Stage is available for iOS and Android from the app stores.
