In the spring of 2022, Shaping Destiny, began working with two youth dance groups to co-create performances informed by research taking place at the University of Oxford. Through a series of workshops, Body Politic, led by Emma-Jane Greig and Parasol Project, led by Sophie Stanley, brought together brought together groups of young dancers with and without disabilities to work with biologist Shankar Srinivas and literary theorist Wes Williams to explore concepts relating to human development. The unique responses of the young people to the scientific ideas they were introduced to inspired the creation of a diverse range of dance sequences, which were digitally captured in 3D using a pair of Azure Kinect depth scanning cameras. Aiming to further integrate the scientific and choreographic concepts, the dance sequences have been transformed and arranged by Alexander Whitley and Kostas Pataridis into this virtual reality experience, celebrating the developmental journey of life. We start as an embryo and progressively commit to our fate as we and our cells choose our path through life. We diverge from a primordial, shared form to our individual unique forms, fates, and perspectives defined by our biology, placement in society, environment, and imagination. Credits: Art Direction: Alexander Whitley, Alexander Whitley Dance Company https://www.alexanderwhitley.com Virtual Reality: Kostas Pataridis, Andromeda Software Development https://www.andromedasoftware.co.uk Music: Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuydervelt) and Anne Bakker http://www.machinefabriek.nu

Very early mouse embryonic heart just beginning to pulse. The green show the heart and the blue is calcium signals trasmitted across the tubular heart). The sound was extrapolated by Kostas Pataridis (https://www.andromedasoftware.co.uk).

Radio BBC Oxford interviewing Shankar about his research on embryonic heart development.

The compilation and original music by Merlin Matthews (the Beat Shed) for Shaping Destiny. The slideshow shows the development process of engagement and work done by the partners and community groups.

Interview and videography by Gary Tanner (Man in a Hat production).

Body Politic is a socially conscious hip hop company in Oxford founded and led by Emma-Jane Greig. The young people and EmJ created dance with the Shaping Destiny. Videography by Gary Tanner (Man in a Hat production).

The Parasol Project is a play based inclusivity charity in Oxford for young people with different abilities. Sophie Stanley and the Parasol's young people created chorography with research concepts of Shaping Destiny with the music by Merlin Matthews (The Beat Shed). Video by Gary Tanner (Man in a Hat production)