Aszure Barton’s AI-Inspired Ballet “Mere Mortals” Heads to Edinburgh

“Mere Mortals,” which debuted at the San Francisco Ballet in 2024, is set for its European premiere at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. The production brings the AI-themed work to a new audience after its initial run on the West Coast.

The Guardian

Barton recalls the studio atmosphere as a “shared experience.” She worked alongside electronic musician Sam Shepherd—known as Floating Points—who performed live, and the digital-art duo Hamill Industries, who designed visuals for the show’s giant LED screens. “I was in a corner with the dancers,” she said, emphasizing the close-knit interaction between choreographer, principals, apprentices and technical collaborators. The choreography emerged from this collective energy rather than a solitary vision.

The Guardian

Although the ballet’s subject matter centers on artificial intelligence, Barton says the richest conversations during its making focused on the myth of Pandora. The work reimagines the classic tale as a cautionary narrative about AI, contrasting the original myth’s “evils and sorrows” with contemporary concerns over technology’s reach.

The Guardian

Jennifer Stahl, a dancer who has spent two decades with the San Francisco Ballet and returned after a maternity break, assumes the titular Pandora role. Barton praises Stahl as “ab-sol-utely incredible,” calling her “stunning, powerful, amazing.”

The Guardian

Barton uses video and other digital tools to document and analyze her creative process, but she stresses that choreography remains fundamentally about the human body. While acknowledging that some choreographers employ AI to spark new ideas—“that’s cool”—Barton argues that her own inspiration comes from direct interaction with dancers, whom she calls “heroes” that often go uncredited.

The Guardian

• “I was in a corner with the dancers,” — Aszure Barton

The Guardian

• “One of the things I was really driven by was the fact that she was an agent of change,” — Aszure Barton

The Guardian

• “Masses of people sharing themselves, sharing this raw beauty,” — Aszure Barton

The Guardian