Breaking from realism: exploring the potential of glitch in AI-generated dance

What role does deviation from realism play in the potential for generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a creative tool? A deep case-study was performed to explore interactions with AI-generated dance sequences as an inspiration source in dance composition and improvization. We present a simple interface created in collaboration with an experienced dancer for browsing AI-generated dance. By including glitches, the physics-breaking mistakes often encountered in AI-generated artefacts, we examine their affordances and possible use cases through sessions with the dancer. Through a process of reflexive thematic analysis, we identified that generative AI can engage a dancer through surprise, inspiring a transformation from abstract to physical movements. Our work challenges existing notions of the importance of realism in dance generation models, exemplifies the importance of close collaboration with practitioners in evaluating AI-generated artefacts and proposes glitch as a potential use case for dance ideation as it encourages dancers to embody unfamiliar movement qualities and break from ingrained patterns.