Dance notation is the symbolic representation of dance movement, it is analogous to Movement notation but can be limited to representing human movement and specific forms of dance such as Tap dance. Various methods have been to used to visually represent dance movements including:

• abstract symbols
• figurative representation
• track or path mapping
• Numerical systems
• music notation
• Graphic notation
• Letter and word notations

The primary use of dance notation is the documentation, analysis and reconstruction of choreography and dance forms or technical exercises. Many different forms of dance notation have been created but the two main systems used in Western culture are Labanotation (also known as Kinetography Laban) and Benesh Movement Notation. Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation and DanceWriting are also in use, but to a lesser extent.

Several notation systems are used only for specific dance forms, for example, Shorthand Dance Notation (dances from Israel), Morris Dance Notation (Morris dance) and Beauchamp-Feuillet notation (Historical dances from the Baroque period).

Hutchinson Guest's seminal book Choreographics (1989), compares thirteen historical and present-day dance notation systems (with visual examples) and through 'one to one' comparisons illustrates the advantages, and disadvantages of each system. The book is good introduction to the development and implementation dance notation systems.

Notation and Computers

In the field of Dance technology there are four areas of dance notation research and development:

• notation editing software for the creation of printed notation scores
• machine-readable versions of existing dance notation
• handwritten and / or machine readable dance notation for computer animation and Human use
• machine specific movement notation such as Motion capture data

Related articles

• Labanotation
• Motif Description (a subset of Labanotation)
• Benesh movement notation
• DanceWriting
• Eshkol-Wachman movement notation
• Action stroke dance notation
• Shorthand dance notation
• Conté movement notation
• Morris dance notation
• Beauchamp-Feuillet notation

• Dance
• List_of_dances
• Choreography
• Choreology
• Notation

Further reading

• Cage, J. and Knowles, A. (1973) Notations. Reprint Services Corp. ISBN 0685148645
• Henner, D (2003) Transformationen - Bewegung in Notation und digitaler Verarbeitung in Fellsches, J (Ed) Folkwang-Texte Bd. 18. Verlag Die Blaue Eule, Essen. ISBN 389924057X
• Hutchinson Guest, A. (1989) Choreographics: A Comparison of Dance Notation Systems from the Fifteenth Century to the Present. Routledge ISBN 9057000032
• Neagle, R.J. and Ng, K.C. (2003) Machine-representation and Visualisation of a Dance Notation. in Proceedings of Electronic Imaging and the Visual Arts - London July 2003.

External links

Dance notation systems

• Laban Lab (learn the basics of Labanotation)
• The Dance Notation Bureau (Labannotation)
• International Council of Kinetography Laban
• Motif Description
• the Benesh Institute
• Sutton DanceWriting
• Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation
• Action Stroke Dance Notation
• Conte Movement Notation
• Shorthand Dance Notation
• Morris Dance Notation
• Dance Graphical Notation System

Dance notation software

• LabanWriter - Labanotation editor for Apple Macintosh OS 8.6 +
• LED - a UNIX and X Window System mini-editor for Labanotation
• Calaban - AutoCAD Labanotation editor for Microsoft Windows
• The Benesh Notation Editor - Benesh notation editor for Microsoft Windows
• Macbenesh - Benesh notation editor for Apple Macintosh (pre-Mac OS X)
• EW Notator - Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation editor for Microsoft Windows
• DANCE - Ballroom dance pattern editor for Microsoft Windows

Dance Technology / dance notation applications

• DanceForms - dance animation software for Macintosh OSX and Microsoft Windows
• Expressive Character Animation - Expressive Ballet animation using Benesh Notation
• LINTER - a UNIX and X windows for LED that generates animation via the NUDES animation system
• BALLONES - 'Ballet Animation Language Linked Over Nudes Ellipsoid System' a lexical computer interpreter of Classical Ballet terminology
• Country Dance animation project - Java and XML animation
• Computer Choreography / Choreology Project - using Labanotation (development on hold)
• Morris Dance Notation uses the abc musical notation language and related software for UNIX, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows and MIDI applications.