Julie Cruse

Julie Cruse (born December 3, 1981) is an American dancer, choreographer, and researcher whose work integrates interactive media, systems theory, game theory, pedagogy, and performance theory. Cruse pioneers online economic and educational platforms that bridge popular culture, subculture, and fine arts.
Biography
Cruse is a Media, Arts & Sciences doctoral researcher at Arizona State University on David Birchfield's SMALLab and Grisha Coleman's work, . Julie Cruse is also an Assistant Director of the Laptop Orchestra of Arizona State (LOrkAS). Cruse holds an MFA in Dance and Technology from The Ohio State University, where she studied with Matt Lewis, Bebe Miller, and Norah Zuniga Shaw; and a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Ohio University where she studied with Dr. Katherine Milton, Dr. Zelma Badu-Younge, and Madeleine Scott.
Cruse is best known for her brainchild The VICKi Project, a transdisciplinary learning environment for gaming literacy of interactive performance techniques. She has been invited to lecture on VICKi at Sarah Lawrence College, Dennison University, Ohio University, Union Arts, BoMA, and Middlebury College. Cruse has presented on VICKi at international conferences and was invited to Cycling '74's first user conference, Expo '74. Her work has been highlighted by The Athens News, The Lantern, Quodlibet, The Winger, and Great Dance. In 2009, Cruse was recognized as an Ohio University Outstanding Alumni in Innovation for her growing research with VICKi.
Cruse's performances and choreography have focused on interactive media. She has performed in the work of Suguru Goto, Susan Kozel, Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, AZAGUNO, Marlon Barrios Solano, Jeff Lovett, and Alwin Nikolais. Cruse's early choreography explored themes of gender, identity, perception, and non-linear time (FRAUHAUS). With the instantiation of Choreobot, Cruse's choreographic and theoretical work turned toward games as metaphors for art world hierarchies, canons, and culture. Cruse's systems theory outlook treats tools, instruments, techniques, and philosophies as domains enabling a certain class of behavior and creativity. From this vantage point, Cruse strives to create interactive systems that democratize power in these domains by embarking upon meta-domains - implementing HCI for audiences, performers, and the "director" to co-create the performance in real-time ().
Cruse presented her dance technology work FRAUHAUS in conjunction with the American College Dance Festival and Union Arts in 2007, and in the prestigious OhioDance Showcase in 2007. Cruse was awarded an Ohio Arts Council grant. Additionally, Cruse co-founded a scholarship called the Sandusky High School Ronald Albert and Kenneth McFarlan Arts Impact Award, a scholarship dedicated to helping diverse artists achieve their dreams through higher education for the continuation of arts enriched communities.
Notable Works
* The VICKi Project (2007-2010)
* (2008)
* Choreobot (2007)
* FRAUHAUS (2006)
* Nichts Andert (Nothing Changes) (2005)
* A Questionable Exchange (2005)

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