Welcome to DanceDocumentation.com

Capturing the Art of Motion addresses the urgent need in the dance field for documenting and preserving cultural expression as displayed in the form of concert dance. This site includes a look at dance-specific considerations for documentation projects and the development of new documentation models using video as a medium. Experimental work, to date, has involved field-testing of documentation components including: stage grids, synchronized multi-camera shoots, camera geometry, spatial imaging, verbal cueing by the choreographer, and costuming for documentation. The site explores how documentation, specifically geared toward capturing the detailed intent of choreographers, along with the mastery of technical skills such as focus, white balance, and exposure, may result in higher quality contributions to our global dance archive. The content of this site is illustrated by examples of video work with the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Repertory Preservation Project, the repertory of Dan Wagoner, the Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance, Inc., and other documentation projects.

This site has been featured in
Dance Heritage Coalition's publication, Documenting Dance - A Practical Guide.

Also visit
ChoreoVideo.com


Video stills: Crucible by Alwin Nikolais (top left), Salon by Nancy Smith Fichter (bottom left), Aftermath by Leymis Bolaños-Wilmott
Banner image from the video documentation of t7ib by Ross Daniel, 2016