There’s An App For That: In Fact There Are 10

When it comes to iPhone applications, there are some really great ones and others that aren’t even worth their zero-dollar price tag. Apple’s customer reviews are helpful for deciding where to spend your money but, as most dance-related apps have a smaller audience, there are many that haven’t received visible feedback. So, I went in search of dance apps that I could share with you! Some I had already, others were generously offered by the makers for review on this site.

My Favorites

Freeze Dance

Move and, when the music stops, freeze! Educators can get very specific, asking students to move and freeze in certain ways. However, it’s a fun activity for parents and other caregivers as well because anyone can play.

This app by Bombing Brain Interactive retrieves the music you already have on your phone (or iPod Touch) for use in the game. Its creator Tim told me that he created it for his 4 year old daughter. He says, “She loves to dance (in her 2nd year of lessons) and has a lot of fun playing with this.”

Drawing from your playlists, artists, or albums, you start by choosing a song. The app will stop the song at random intervals for a period of seconds and then continue the song. A nice feature of Freeze Dance is that you can turn the automatic stop and/or the restart on or off (if for some reason you want to be in control), adjust the random interval between stops, and tweak the length of time frozen. My toddler finds it hard to freeze for very long so I love that I have some choice with the app. I also love that I don’t have to be holding the device for it to work (meaning I get to dance with my son) and, since it pulls songs from my library, a huge list of songs are available to play Freeze Dance.
Verdict: Great app for anyone working with kids of all ages and you can’t beat 99 cents!

Ballet Lite/Ballet Index

This app by Australian software developper, Cannonade is a ballet dictionary. Ballet Lite (the free version) was already in my iPhone arsenal when I began my app research so I’m focusing on this version. It is my understanding, however, that they are identical except that Ballet Index (99 cents) is loaded into your device. That means it A) requires no network to work and B) can retrieve definitions instantly, with no delay.

At best count, the app looks to have over 200 terms. Some have photos but it is a pleasant surprise to come across one (you don’t know until you open it). There is also a flashcard feature that pops up a random term. State the answer to yourself (unless you want to turn a few heads) and then push the reveal button to see if you were right. It appears that the dictionary uses an assortment of sources including the Wikipedia Ballet Glossary page. The author of the app goes into more detail in this forum thread.

Pros:

• A relatively large and useful index of terms.
• Cross-referenced terms (links from one definition to another) are a plus
• Often includes a literal translation and a description of the movement
• On the info page you can trade the hot pink border for black

Cons: None really – you can always try the free version and if you like it and use it a lot, buy the 99 cent version!
Verdict: No hand-held, fit-in-your-pocket dictionary is going to be perfect for everyone – there are thousands of ballet terms and definition sources vary. This works and is often being tweaked by the developer. More photos or video would make it more useful for students I think, but it is a handy reference for those who are somewhat familiar with the terminology. Can’t go wrong at this price!

P.S. Cannonade also offers Tap Index and Tap Lite. I’m not enough of a tap aficionado to know how useful or accurate this dictionary is. Keep in mind that tap terminology is highly variable from region to region and the developer is Australian so there may be differences. But again, Tap Lite is free to try!

Nifty Notables

Say Ballet

Say Ballet is a glossary of over 140 ballet terms that includes video or photographs for at least half of the definitions. What is unique about this app, however, is that voice recognition can be used to search the glossary. Browse the alphabetical list of terms, watch the accompanying video or listen to the pronunciation. It also has a quiz feature that requires answers via voice recognition. The app is based upon flash cards developed by a dance teacher from Carmel Academy of Performing Arts and features two of its students in the videos and photos. [more in this news item]

Pros:

• A large list of terms
• The voice recognition feature is unique among dance apps; speaking a search term comes in handy for those unsure of spelling
• The movements on video are performed clearly and accurately
• Quiz results can be saved with a name to keep track of scoring for multiple players
• Items with video are noted with an icon

Cons:

• The voice recognition (like most voice recognition programs I’ve found) is finicky – I sometimes had to try repeatedly and copy the accent and inflection of the speaker exactly to get the correct term to come up and occasionally one syllable words were a problem – this affects getting an accurate quiz result as well;
• At $9.99 it is a bit pricier than most dance apps;
• Some users may prefer video of a professional dancer performing the steps;
• Some of the terms are pretty rare (faire le tiroirs, anyone?), and others are a bit redundant (sauté, sauter, sautillé).

Verdict: The voice recognition works about as well as I would expect but not as well as I would like. This is still a pretty solid app and could be useful for students to practice terminology on the go. With video included, this is one of the more useful dance dictionary apps out there. Worth the price? A $10 pricetag would be outrageous to some and minor for others. Too individualized to call it – you’ll have to decide for yourself.

Shop4Dance

This is a unique and quite specialized shopping organizer. The developer, John Sepulveres says “The app was developed after my daughter’s Spring Dance Performance. My wife was making endless lists of tight colors, the exact lipstick color, and packing of accessories, etc.!” They say necessity is the mother of invention… in the case of iPhone apps, however, it seems the fathers are the ones giving birth.

There is a detailed feature list at John’s website, but basically you can add a dancer by name with the plus/add icon, then under that dancer’s name you can add dance-specific supplies from an exhaustive list or create your items and categories for inclusion. Once you’ve added items you can add other info like brand, size, color, etc., save it add notes, alter your needs and “haves” as needed, and add notes or reminders.

Pros:

• Convenience – no need to scribble down or carry around your dancer’s instructions. For families with multiple children competing in dance this might be a must if for no other reason than to keep track of brands and ever-changing sizes throughout the year.
• Versatile – you can create fully customize your own categories and items. Who says you can’t put your son’s sports team requirements in there too? Come recital time, teachers may also be able to keep track of each of their classes’ required accessories and costumes this way too.
• Low cost (99 cents)

Cons:

• The application is so simple that it needs a tutorial or instruction page. Sounds crazy but it’s true. I had to play around with this a while to know when to hit the ‘add,’ when to hit save, and on which screen I needed to push what. I’m pretty intuitive and it was still confusing at first.

Verdict: Not everyone will find this essential, but because it is customizable, you may find additional uses for this shopper’s helper.

Room for Improvement

Dancer QuickQuotes

Quotes for, by, and about dancers and dance. You can add favorites to a list, search for keywords, and share via email. What’s missing is sharing via social networks and/or the option to copy a quote to your clipboard. Also some quotes are not exactly noteworthy – more like a random sentence torn from a paragraph. Verdict: Eh! Still waiting for a really good dance quote app. The cost isn’t bad (99 cents) but I am just not that impressed.

Ballet News

A pre-loaded feed aggregator of dance blogs. For someone who has no desire or who has no idea how to set up their own feed reader, this might be really useful. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much luck with this particular app. It’s pretty buggy. Upon opening, it updates the feeds but I found at least one of the feeds was causing the whole thing to stall. I removed it (you can add to or delete the feeds available) and that helped but I’ve also noticed that some feeds get misplaced. For instance, Dance Advantage happens to be second on the list but often my posts will show up under other blogs. Verdict: This would not replace the dance blog smorgasbord I’ve created for free via Google Reader, which I access easily on iPhone with the Google services app. If it weren’t for the glitches, this 99 cent app might be worth it to someone who wants a ready-made list of dance blogs to follow.

American Tap Dance

This app lists 15 tap steps including waltz clog, bombershay, and buffalo which are demoed with a foot diagram and tap sounds. Using your finger, you can tap out the rhythm and receive a score. The goal of this may be more tap game than teaching gadget for tap dance, however it does make an attempt at showing actual tap steps. The game has a very short time lapse between each repeat – a very spastic experience. Verdict: If you want to see how fast your fingers can tap you could give it a try. The cost ($2.99) is more than I would pay for a game like this.

More Dancer Goodies

Pilates for Dancers

Video guide featuring 24 Pilates exercises including the hundreds, bridge, and double/single leg stretch. A clear and well-executed introduction to pilates for anyone. This series is not super challenging but if you are new to pilates or need a handy primer, this provides DVD quality video that can travel with you. You can watch the videos in sequence, play random installments, or organize your own “playlist.” Verdict: Good for beginners and not a bad price for a video app ($1.99). You might also want to check out other dance apps by Nexstudios such as Learn to Dance Swing.

So You Think You Can Dance Vote

I haven’t had the chance to try this out yet since the new season of SYTYCD has not started. If you are a serious voter this app keeps you updated on when voting begins and ends in your time zone. The point is go anywhere voting: the contestant’s names and photos are listed and during voting time, you tap your favorite’s image and the correct number will be displayed for you to call and cast your vote. During voting the app also shows the current voting tally among users. I have checked out the Tropic Apps‘ American Idol (AI) Vote (available here) and the app has worked well. Verdict: If you can’t bear to miss your chance to vote, 99 cents is definitely not too high a price.

When downloading apps for your iPhone or iPod Touch, be sure to check their compatibility. Not all apps are made for or work best on all devices!

What are your favorite dance apps?

Which non-dance apps make your dance life easier?

REVIEW: Jonah Bokaer’s The Invention of Minus One at DiverseWorks

Dear Readers, I don’t often write reviews for this blog. However, I’ve worked hard on this one and would like to share the details of this interesting performance with you!

The Texas air was, for a change, a bit chilly. Groups of people stood together on a long, industrial loading platform. Those who had remembered their warmer clothing or coats waited in relative comfort, while others huddled in the crisp night air, thankful for the promise of only spending ten minutes of this evening’s event outdoors. The lights of a vehicle focused across the narrow parking lot, casting illumination on a single garage door in a warehouse that mirrored that of the DiverseWorks gallery and performance venue. Known for hosting experimental works of both performance and visual art, this 25 year-old establishment was likely not surprising much of its audience by briefly displaying a portion of the evening’s dance performance outside. However, as it was late November, only in a city with a climate such as Houston’s could this have been accomplished without protests from the patrons.

Those gathering waited to see the latest offering from an accomplished dancer and choreographer from New York who has already, at the age of 26, received many accolades for his work. Jonah Bokaer, upon joining the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 2000, became, at age 18, the youngest professional ever hired in the ensemble’s history. In 2002, Bokaer led a group of artists and choreographers in the foundation of Chez Bushwick, an organization based in Brooklyn that focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration between artists of all disciplines, and fosters the development of new work through public programming and by offering much-needed rehearsal space to artists at the subsidized rate of $5 per hour. In addition, Bokaer has co-founded the Center for Performance Research in New York, is a published writer and activist, and drives the spheres of digital media, motion capture, and contemporary technologies to new levels of innovation and interconnectedness in their applications for movement research and development.

With the highway traffic of I-10 roaring nearby, Jonah Bokaer took a turn as performer in False Start, a brief prelude to his feature work The Invention of Minus One, and the reason for which the audience assembled outside. As a lone figure he stood silhouetted before a garage door on a concrete loading dock. Though he began standing, much of the dance was executed at a low level, his body folding and unfolding on the narrow, gritty space within the glow of strategically placed headlights. A rapid flurry of crisp and articulated movements was interrupted by broad strokes, occasionally accented with the rumbling of Bokaer’s feet striking the metal door as he skillfully used it to propel his lower body and shift weight into his hands. During a brief moment of rest for Bokaer, a vibrant image of reds and blues (a projection of Jasper John’s painting, False Start, the namesake and inspiration for the solo) appeared on the garage door. Within the image, an almost skeletal figure took shape and began its own series of folding and unfolding gestures, its lifting, sliding, and flopping a result of the gravity-free motion of unembellished computer animation. Echoing the movements of the figure, Bokaer re-created the phrase. Moments of illumination and darkness followed as the headlights toggled on and off and Bokaer teased the audience, backing up and hovering much too near the edge of the three or four foot ledge, dipping a toe beyond the brink.

False Start is not always presented outdoors. Performers and choreographers often have to make adaptations in dance as they move from venue to venue. In an interview with Nancy Wozny, Bokaer responded to a question about how he planned to adjust the solo for the DiverseWorks stage. Without divulging any details, he commented,  “I look forward to adapting to the space at DiverseWorks and making sure that the piece can “live” there in a way that complements the beauty of the venue.” True to this mission, False Start, seemed at home in the tarnished environment of the Warehouse District. Had it inhabited the same location as Minus One, the solo perhaps would have felt more like a “false start” to the dance that followed. As it was, the piece was fully permitted to stand alone. Despite the occasional distraction of cars meandering through the parking lot, and that the distance was perhaps too great between the tiny makeshift stage and the spectators for comfortable viewing, False Start was an intriguing, rich work, and a fitting opening act to the evening’s main event.

Inside, DiverseWorks’ intimate performance space seemed more equipped for a photo shoot than a dance performance. The stage was set with an assortment of tripods, projection screens, and three wardrobe carts draped with bits of clothing and feather boas. Fifteen white photography umbrellas, installed in a rectangular pattern on the back wall, revealed their purpose as The Invention of Minus One began. Projected upon this unconventional backdrop were two faces. In silence they waited, spoke, and shared brief moments of laughter and sobriety. It was a candid moment shared by the dancers before they physically took the stage in an upstage corner. The three performers would visit this location often throughout the duration of the piece, standing shoulder to shoulder in a row as if collecting themselves before moving onward to the next chapter of their visual story.

The dancers, Bokaer, Alison Cave, and Jimena Paz, wore simple but slightly absurd costumes designed by Isaac Mizrahi. The lone male figure in the trio, Bokaer donned a military-style jacket that seemed a bit cumbersome in appearance with epaulettes heavily beaded with what looked like uncooked macaroni noodles (I believe they were actually wooden beads). Paz was sleekly and femininely dressed in silver leggings and a shimmery top that could easily have come off the Mizrahi fashion line rack at any Target store, while the androgynous Alison Cave’s apparel combined these two looks with silver leggings beneath a less decorated military jacket.

Like many of the key players in Modern Dance, Jonah Bokaer’s investigation and exploration of movement and concepts grows like a branch on a family tree. His work with Merce Cunningham is an unmistakable influence, yet Bokaer presents strong and identifiable themes in a way that Cunningham’s purely kinetic work does not. Although it is left to the viewer to draw their own conclusions about how or why they relate, in The Invention of Minus One, Bokaer has presented vignettes that clearly interconnect and even hint at an underlying meaning. For example, the use of visual media and technology and the way humans interact with it was a common thread throughout the piece. Video projections (designed by former Cunningham dancer, animator, and college professor, Michael Cole) formed a corps of additional performers. The images displayed were varied and included immediate and live footage of the dancers, cutouts of the performers, à la the Vitruvian Man, that bent and twisted like paper dolls as they floated across the screen, and graphic representations of cameras and Polaroid snapshots which shifted and whirled into formations or materialized unexpectedly. Pieces of the set were manipulated and relocated in a similar fashion. At one point the women took Polaroid shots of one another as Bokaer danced on. Once created, these became an effective addition to the collection of props used ingeniously throughout the work.

The sound score, composed by Christian Marclay, crackled, whirred, and pulsed, giving auditory support to a visual feast. In fact, the sounds themselves seemed to give off a kinetic energy that could almost be seen. At times the trio of dancers performed in silence, accompanied only by the award-winning lighting design of Aaron Copp. They responded and connected to one another in a purposeful yet entirely undramatic way. Although the work made great use of gesture and expression, which ranged from unconscious tics to hand signals, to awkward or silly chortling,  the majority of the dancer’s movements appeared simple and pedestrian only because these performers are so skilled. By nature, choreography that is created using simulated or animated dance forms, a method which is at the heart of Bokaer’s work, presents certain challenges for a performer. Although technology can mimic human locomotion, it can produce transitions and sequences that would not be the first (second, or even third) choice of the dancer who must translate the movement onto their body. It is to the credit of these movers that they were able to make the sometimes disjointed choreography look effortless.

There are many memorable moments in The Invention of Minus One which were imprinted in my mind on that chilly November evening. Perhaps an homage to the Cunningham and Cage chance principles, one such episode engaged the dancers in what looked like a slight-of-hand parlor game as they passed a coin between their fingers and beneath their hands on the floor of the stage. In another passage, umbrellas, lit from the inside, turned Jimena Paz into a jellyfish-like creature. Her subtle movements had the effect of whispering, demanding that the viewer pay closer attention. Later, overturned wardrobe carts and focused lighting framed the soles of each dancer’s feet as these appendages performed their own, unique pas de deux. For the most part, although clearly presenting human interactions with technology and with one another, Minus One delivered movement devoid of theatricality. However, in one of the rare moments that this work ventured into emotional terrain, the ambiguously dressed Alison Cave, bathed in a blue spotlight, sat surrounded by the Polaroid photos which she had just collected. One by one she gazed at the photos as if memorizing or recalling the details of each. As I write this review of The Invention of Minus One, this image, in particular, resonates. I realize I am doing the same. Capturing, collecting, and recalling these snapshots in time and space. They remain with me as if caught by the flash of a camera.

Excerpts from Jonah Bokaer’s False Start and The Invention of Minus One are available for viewing at TenduTV , a broadband television channel featuring staged and filmed modern and contemporary dance and ballet performances from both established and emerging choreographers and companies. TenduTV’s branded channel is currently available on TidalTV and on Sling.com.

The Company

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite dance movies – The Company. I love it for it’s rich performance footage and day-in-the life feel. It’s low on plot, but high on spectacular dancing and choreography. Just for your information, the movie, featuring Neve Campbell and directed by Robert Altman, is rated PG-13 with some nudity in dressing-room scenes.

Here is a wonderful review of the movie. Read more

Big Boi not an OutKast at Atlanta Ballet

I wanted to report of an interesting collaboration that has taken place between Big Boi (a member of the rap duo, OutKast) and the Atlanta Ballet. Read more