By
THIRSTY
Alan
Turing was the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.
During World War II, he played a pivotal role in cracking encoded messages that
allowed the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial battles. In 1952, he was
prosecuted in England for homosexual acts and chemically castrated. He committed
suicide just days before his 42nd birthday.
In
2009, the Prime Minister of the UK made an official public apology regarding
the treatment of Turing, and in 2013, the Queen granted him a posthumous
pardon. Now, 65 years after Turning’s death, the importance of his genius and
the tragedy of his life are being recognized in science, art, literature, film
and dance.
The
Invertigo Dance Theatre of Los Angeles is one organization that has focused on
the life and times of Turing. Laura Karlin, Founder and Artistic Director of
the dance company, is the creator,
director and co-choreographer of Formulae & Fairy Tales, a full-length dance that places the world
of mathematics, artificial intelligence and cryptography alongside a twisted
fairy tale of romanticized beauty, and blends historical events, sexuality,
gender identity and humanity seamlessly together as it superimposes themes from
Turing’s favorite film, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Some
attribute Turing’s death to eating an apple laced with cyanide, an act foreshadowed
by Snow White.
Formulae
& Fairy Tales was made possible by the New England
Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project, with lead funding from the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Invertigo
Dance Theatre’s mission is to create connections and tell stories that resonate
with diverse communities. Formulae & Fairy Tales allowed
Invertigo to develop partnerships with
the STEM academic community, LGBTQIA+ organizations and queer activists to reach
beyond the typical dance audience to keep alive the meaning of
Alan Turing’s life. It is productions like these that transcend contemporary
issues and put into perspective the importance of a person’s life to the
advancement of humanity.
Link: