Mobile Application Could Expand the Art of Dance

What you see is not always what you get – the final performance product that most audiences witness on stage, whether it is Alvin Ailey’s world-renown Revelations or an emerging choreographer’s premiere in an obscure space – is never the first draft of an idea. The art of dance and creating movement is a process and one in which can now be documented and shared thanks to Richard Daniels, arts administrator, producer and choreographer. While recovering from a shoulder injury Daniels was reviewing some rehearsal videos and realized that there was something extremely compelling about the behind the scenes footage, so he began to edit it on his computer and then quickly transferred it to his phone…enter Dance for an iPhone, a free application featuring modern dances ranging between two to five minutes.

Since early 2011, when Dance for an iPhone was released, the app has been downloaded over 2,000 times in almost 50 countries. The point of the app is to show a more intimate side of dance than what most people are used to seeing on shows such as Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance? At the moment there are only six different videos on the app; however, Daniels is set up to expand the repertoire.

So, several things come to my mind after reading about Dance for an iPhone.

First of all this is a marketing jackpot for local, national and international dance companies. Dancers, choreographers, and rehearsal directors should be encouraged to create their own rehearsal footage and use it to promote their performances. Although some companies have video and pictures on their website and you can look many videos up on YouTube, this could be a one stop shop. Patrons could search for a specific company, or style of dance, or maybe even utilize location-based technology to find local information and then be directed to a variety of rehearsal and backstage footage. Furthermore, within this app, companies should announce their next upcoming show and encourage users to buy tickets. On top of all this, once Google Wallet becomes more prevalent, users could buy their tickets on the spot. While we’re at it, why not add in coupons. When I’m walking around in Chelsea on a Friday night I can look for deals on unsold tickets for that night based on where I am and what I like to watch. Whew!

The good news is that this app seems to be going somewhere, however, I think it needs to go a bit faster!