Choreographers Jess and Morgs tackle deepfake politics through dance
British dance duo Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple explore how deepfake technology blurs the line between truth and fiction in their new piece, Deepfake, blending virtuosic movement with green-screen effects.
British choreography duo Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple, known as Jess and Morgs, have created a new dance work called Deepfake, which examines how difficult it has become to distinguish truth from fabrication in the modern media landscape.
The piece centres on a scene depicting a politician cornered outside Buckingham Palace, forced to deny involvement in a fictional pagan ceremony with minor royal family members. Though entirely invented, the scenario is staged convincingly enough to illustrate how deepfake technology can cast doubt on almost anything presented as fact.
Technology as storytelling
Runacre-Temple explains that the pair has always been drawn to work where theme and form intersect, aiming to reflect the contemporary world back at audiences. The duo is known for incorporating film and live camera work into their performances, frequently exploring tech-related themes.
Their breakthrough came with the 2022 production Coppélia, created for Scottish Ballet, which reimagined the classic 19th-century ballet about a dancing doll as a cautionary tale about artificial intelligence and unchecked tech-industry ego.
Earlier this year, the duo also made their debut at the Paris Opera Ballet, one of the most esteemed dance institutions in the world, confirming their continued rise beyond a single hit production.
