Dance Studio: A Choreography Simulation Tool

Abstract

In dance, blocking formations is a critical aspect of choreography; however, there is currently no way to visualize how dancers will look and move onstage in real life. This problem often makes choreography a burdensome and intimidating task and stifles creativity. This paper details the design, implementation, and evaluation of Dance Studio, an online choreography simulation tool that solves this issue by enabling users to visualize and animate their formations with 3D computer graphics. In the application, users can upload music, play the dance back to see transitions between formations in real time, and anticipate collisions between dancers. Most notably, unlike other dance applications, Dance Studio offers users the ability to control dancers’ movement by creating custom non-linear paths. Through technical analysis and user evaluation, I demonstrate that Dance Studio successfully provides a medium for choreographers to translate their ideas from their mind, to the screen, to the stage.