What are the ethics of interaction? Is there a social responsibility that we must adhere to? What is the relationship between choreography and philosophy? These are the questions that Dr. Ilya Vidrin, a 2012 graduate of the College of Science, strives to answer using innovative interdisciplinary research and an artistic expression of physical interaction through dance.
Dr. Vidrin, a native Bostonian born to refugee parents from the Soviet Union, has always had a passion for dance. “When I came to Northeastern, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to study. I became interested in neuroscience because I was really interested in memory and attention – I was curious about what it takes to be a good dancer and what’s happening in the brain when people dance.” Combining his neuroscience studies with his fervor for dance, he began to approach philosophical questions surrounding movement and how it pertains to mutual understanding and caring for others.
After a co-op at Beth Israel Medical Deaconess Center that emphasized therapeutic, non-pharamcological techniques to treat cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, Dr. Vidrin made a pivot towards choreographic research while pursuing his master’s degree. “I became interesting in the crisis of meaning, concerning how people lead shared meaningful lives. Dancing is a significant part of cultures across the world and an important part of human history. Dancing together provides an outlet for people to come together through movement, not just to express ourselves, but to actually build and practice skills to physically relate to each other with care.”
Keeping these concepts in mind, Dr. Vidrin strives to find concrete conclusions for how dance partnering can serve as an intervention for building non-verbal communication skills that support ethical interaction. “When we talk about practicing non-verbal communication, how do we actually practice it?” ponders Dr. Vidrin. “Dance is that artistic medium that allows us to be in non-verbal dialogue and start to understand each other through touch, eye contact, proximity, body posture, and gesture, rather than words alone.”
Now an Assistant Professor of Creative Practice Research in the Department of Theatre at the College of Arts, Media and Design at Northeastern, Dr. Vidrin is looking to make a lasting impression both in his field and at Northeastern. “I’m one of the only faculty in dance…I love being able to collaborate across the colleges [of Northeastern],” he states. “It’s great being able to meet other faculty that are willing to explore dance through different angles, such as engineering, psychology, philosophy, and even business administration.”
Dr. Vidrin’s research has been lauded, as well—evident in his upcoming choreographic residency at Jacob’s Pillow Lab Festival and recent research publications on the “Social Thresholds of Resistance” and the “Absurdity of Human Trust as Revealed Through Falling Robots”. The future is bright for Dr. Vidrin, and with his continued efforts, we are one step closer to understanding each other as humans.
You can learn more about Dr. Vidrin and his research by visiting his website.
Website
ilyavidrin.com/
[Don’t] just see what you can get out of Northeastern, but see what you can offer Northeastern.”
Ilya Vidrin, cos’12