Ilya Vidrin

Ilya Vidrin is an academic research-practitioner notable for his work on the theory and practice of partnering.^[1][2] He is Assistant Professor of Creative Practice Research and Core Faculty at the Institute of Experiential Robotics at Northeastern University^[3] and a Research Affiliate at Harvard MetaLab.^[4]

Dr Ilya Vidrin
Nationality	American
Education	PhD, Coventry University; Ed.M., Harvard University; B.S., Northeastern University
Known for	Choreography, Dance, Philosophy
Movement	Dance Partnering
Awards	"25 to Watch", Dance Magazine (2022)
Website	ilyavidrin.com

Professional life

Ilya pursued undergraduate studies in Cognitive Neuroscience and Rhetorical Theory at Northeastern University. Ilya completed three years of intensive clinical research training in the Neurology Department at Beth Israel Medical Deaconess Center, with a focus on non-pharmacological therapies for cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders. Ilya went on to graduate school at Harvard University, earning a Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on Human Development and Psychology. At Harvard, Ilya worked on experimental research projects investigating cognitive models of creative practice and empathy, including biofeedback technology,^[5] Therapeutically Active Digital Medicine, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS),^[6] and Somatic Enrichment. His advisors at Harvard were psychologist Kurt Fischer, philosopher Catherine Elgin, and dancer Jill Johnson. While at Harvard, Ilya performed choreography by Ohad Naharin, William Forythe, Crystal Pite, Dwight Rhoden, Aszure Barton, Sidra Bell, among others.^[7][8]

Focusing on ethics in physical interaction through dance, Ilya completed a practice-based PhD funded by the Centre for Dance Research in the United Kingdom under Sarah Whatley, Scott Delahunta, and Sara Reed. Ilya is an Associate of the Signet Society for the Arts at Harvard, and a professional member of the Dance Studies Association and Association for Moral Education, among others. Ilya is the recipient of two Erasmus Fellowships (Bern, Switzerland and Berlin Germany), Derek Bok Fellowship in Literacy, Media, and Visualization (Harvard University), Laban Conservatoire Dance Research Fellowship (London, UK), Centre for Global Engagement Grant (Sapporo, Japan), Byron Fellowship, Live Arts Boston Grant (2019, 2021^[9][10]), and the Massachusetts Cultural Council Choreographic Fellowship.^[11]

Vidrin was selected as one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2022.^[12] He has been artist-in-residence at the New Museum, where he created "More or Less", an evening-length meditation on social ethics as part of year-long residency entitled "Everything You Do Matters, No Matter What You Do".^[13] He has also been artist-in-residence at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (2018, 2019,^[14] 2023^[15]), MIT Media Lab, Interlochen Arts Academy, Harvard ArtLab,^[16] The Walnut Hill School, Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), BallettxSchwerin, and L.A. Contemporary Dance Company.^[17]

Philosophy

Vidrin's philosophical work focuses on the concept of partnering. His writings distinguish between trust and care, for application within emerging technology and robotics,^[18] dance,^[19] and social life more broadly (see for example his essay on "Thresholds of Resistance).^[20]

Bibliography

• "Embodied Ethics: Conditions and Norms of Communication in Partnering" (Book Chapter), Cambridge Scholars Press, 2020.
• "We Need to Distinguish Trust and Care", Dance Magazine 2021.
• "What Falling Robots Reveal about the Absurdity of Human Trust", (with Amy Laviers), Psych Magazine 2021.
• "Conceptualizing Care in Partnering", Journal of Performance Research, 2023.

References

1. PhD, Ilya Vidrin (2021-01-04). "We Need to Distinguish "Trust" and "Care" in Partnering". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
2. Vidrin, Ilya (2022-10-03). "Conceptualizing Care in Partnering". Performance Research. 27 (6–7): 26–31. doi:10.1080/13528165.2022.2197480. ISSN 1352-8165. S2CID 259975958.
3. "Ilya Vidrin". Northeastern CAMD. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
4. Research Affiliations (2023-09-18). "Ilya Vidrin". metaLAB (at) Harvard & FU Berlin. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
5. Horvath, Jared C.; Gray, Zachary; Schilberg, Lukas; Vidrin, Ilya; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro (November 2015). "Action–effect congruence during observational learning leads to faster action sequence learning". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 68 (11): 2200–2215. doi:10.1080/17470218.2015.1012086. ISSN 1747-0218. PMID 25728536.
6. Schilberg, Lukas; Brem, Anna-Katharine; Freitas, Catarina; Atkinson, Natasha; Asboth, Leonie; Carbone, Christina; Vidrin, Ilya; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro (July 2012). "P4-211: Effects of cognitive training combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation on cognitive functions and brain plasticity in patients with Alzheimer's disease". Alzheimer's & Dementia. 8 (4S_Part_19). doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2012.05.1916. ISSN 1552-5260.
7. ""Duetti" Explores Duality of Movement and Relationships | Arts | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
8. "Visiting Artist Series". ofa.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
9. "Live Arts Boston 2021". www.tbf.org. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
10. "Postdoctoral Associate Ilya Vidrin and Music Professor Anthony Paul De Ritis are Among This Year's Grantees for Live Arts Boston 2021". Northeastern CAMD. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
11. "Massachusetts Cultural Council" (PDF). 2020.
12. Magazine, Dance (2021-12-20). "Introducing Our 2022 "25 to Watch"". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
13. "Ilya Vidrin: Everything You Do Matters, No Matter What You Do". www.newmuseum.org. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
14. "The Art & Science of Partnering: Reciprocity Collaborative". Jacob's Pillow. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
15. "Pillow Lab: Ilya Vidrin". Jacob's Pillow. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
16. "ArtLab opens in Allston with creative research as its mission". Harvard Gazette. 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
17. "Ilya Vidrin". ilyavidrin. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
18. "What falling robots reveal about the absurdity of human trust | Psyche Ideas". Psyche. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
19. Whalen, Aili (2023-08-16), Harold, James (ed.), "Dance Ethics", The Oxford Handbook of Ethics and Art (1 ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 439–C28P127, doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197539798.013.29, ISBN 978-0-19-753979-8, retrieved 2023-11-09
20. "Blackwood Gallery". www.blackwoodgallery.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-08.