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Dance & Choreography

Movement notation, formation patterns, and the geometry of dance

Explore the intersection of dance and mathematics through interactive visualizations. From Laban's effort qualities to Forsythe's invisible geometry, from ballroom floor patterns to folk circle dances, discover how choreography is encoded, analyzed, and brought to life through notation systems and spatial reasoning.

Notation Systems

Formal systems for encoding movement as written symbols, from Laban effort graphs to Benesh's five-line staff and timeline-based choreographic scores.

Laban Effort Graph

Interactive visualization of Laban Movement Analysis. Adjust four effort factors (Space, Weight, Time, Flow) and watch a dancer figure respond in real-time with an effort diamond graph.

Benesh Notation Staff

Place body position markers on a five-line staff representing head, shoulders, waist, knees, and feet. Play back your notation to see a stick figure interpret the score.

Choreographic Score

Timeline-based dance notation editor with lanes for body parts. Place movement events (jumps, turns, gestures, floor work) and play back the sequence with a live preview figure.

Partner Dance Patterns

Floor patterns and spatial geometry of partner dances, from the waltz box step to the swing dance slot.

Ballroom Floor Patterns

Watch lead and follow trace floor patterns for waltz, foxtrot, tango, and Viennese waltz. Shows the Line of Dance, room alignments, and step diagrams with footprint trails.

Swing Dance Slot

Compare slotted vs circular swing styles. West Coast Swing's narrow slot, Lindy Hop's Savoy circular and Hollywood slotted patterns, and Jive's compact bounce with elastic connection visualization.

Group Formations

How dancers organize in space, from contra dance lines to folk circles and choreographic formations with symmetry analysis.

Contra Dance Caller

Animated contra dance with 8 dancers in two lines. Watch do-si-dos, swings, allemandes, and grand chains called in proper, improper, and Becket formations.

Formation Editor

Drag-and-drop formation designer with presets for circle, V-shape, line, diamond, stagger, spiral, and grid. Analyzes bilateral and radial symmetry of your arrangement.

Folk Circle Dance

Animated folk dance patterns from five traditions: Hora (Romanian/Israeli), Kolo (Serbian), Dabke (Levantine), Sirtaki (Greek), and Farandole (Provencal chain dance).

Movement Concepts

Abstract concepts from dance theory: invisible geometric lines, rhythmic layering, and the interplay of movement quality.

Inspired by William Forsythe's Improvisation Technologies. Move your cursor to trace invisible geometric lines through a dancer's body: extending lines, arc traces, plane sweeps, and fold axes.

Dance Polyrhythm

Circular rhythm visualization with dancers moving on different beat cycles. Watch 3-vs-4, 5-vs-4, or 3-vs-4-vs-5 polyrhythms with pulse effects when beats align.