About the Product
The DanceScript product is a series of chronological images that illustrate the blocking (placement, pathways, entrances, exits, etc.) of choreography on a stage floor. Digital images, which provide intricate details about the spatial aspects of dance, are provided as a color-illustrated reference document and as a time-based video that is synchronized with a performance video. These floorplans are the result of a frame-by-frame analysis of all weight shifts that result in a pathway as each dancer moves from one location to another. This degree of scripting space contributes to the accuracy of choreographic restagings, benefits a choreographer’s ability to pre-visualize a new work, and helps dancers to be more precise, confident, and clear as performers.
A DanceScript score includes:
- Starting and ending placement markers for each dancer at landmark moments within the dance.
- Directional pathways that are traveled during the duration represented on the page.
- Vertical coordinates for each dancer in relation to the wings (downstage to upstage).
- Horizontal coordinates for each dancer (stage right to stage left) including distance from center, quarter marks, and offstage.
- Temporal information including video start and end timing and count structure (if applicable).
- Brief description of start and end actions during the duration illustrated on the page.
- Notes for the dancers regarding timing of pathways, arrivals, departures, and movements that should occur simultaneously.
- Notes on changes of location that are not visible on video, such as wing changes and crossovers.
Components of a DanceScript score
Proof of Product
In 2024, the José Limón Dance Foundation partnered with DanceScript to generate a proof of product notation. This script for Limón's work, The Traitor, involved over twenty (20) minutes of choreography performed by eight (8) dancers. This project supported the 2024 restaging of the dance.
When restaging Limón works, we normally pull from so many different videos and personal experiences that each restaging takes on its own life, but with this process of DanceScript we were able to enter The Traitor from a new angle—giving the dancers and the reconstructor another way to not only understand the craft of the work itself, but deepen the relationship they have with it. Even though we are all artists, how we metabolize information varies. DanceScript provided a roadmap that supported our expanding ways in which we can learn and teach these complex and incredible works of art.
– Dante Puleio, Artistic Director
The Traitor (1954) excerpt 1
Choreography: José Limón
Music: Symphony for Brass and Percussion (1950) by Gunther Schuller
Artistic Director: Dante Puleio
TThe Traitor (1954) excerpt 2
The Traitor (1954) excerpt 3
Other DanceScript Samples:
The samples below illustrate choreographic pre-visualizations or post-creation documentations of works created by Tim Glenn since 2022.
Backtrax (2024) excerpt 1
Choreography, Costumes, and Projection Design: Tim Glenn
Music: Drifting Circles by Attacca Quartet
Tim Glenn’s staging notation allows for a new level of precision to be achieved in concert dance performance. As a dancer, it provides a deeper understanding of my pathways on stage and my spatial relationships with other dancers. The notation is a useful tool throughout the rehearsal process. Once we learn the choreography, blocking with the staging notation gives us a better context of how far we need to travel each phrase on stage. It is also a great tool during the refinement process and gives us markers of where we can start cleaning sections of the piece. Furthermore, the printed out staging notation is our main reference point for clarifying any spatial issues that may arise when piecing sections of choreography together.
– Holly Borrelli, BFA, FSU Dance
Backtrax (2024) excerpt 2
Doven Souls (2011, restaged 2024) excerpt
Choreography, Costumes, and Projection Design: Tim Glenn
Music: From Within a Fractured Bell by Alex Davis The use of pathway notation in Doven Souls was truly eye-opening for me as a performer and I believe it was a huge contributor to the success of our performance. The staging allowed me to work towards a clear goal. Oftentimes, staging direction can be rather vague, so as a performer, you can become unsure of whether you are executing the choreographer's idea or not. While it may have taken me more time to memorize the spacing and pathways in Doven Souls, I was never unsure of Tim’s intentions and could always reference the staging. Everyone applied the pathways in their body and built confidence in our individual parts, which translated into a clear and effective piece of art! I will carry this process with me as a performer in any future pieces and, as an aspiring choreographer, I will absolutely make use of pathways and staging to give my dancers clarity and intention.
– Maddie Luzarraga, BFA Candidate at FSU
The staging notation provided clear and concise visuals that gave clarity to positions at any given formation change. The visuals were easy to understand and allowed the rehearsal process to move smoothly and efficiently. I appreciated that I could view the visuals both inside and outside of rehearsals. It was helpful to know where the phrases needed to travel to, at times, before learning the choreography.
– Shea Boeker, BFA Candidate at FSU
See the 2024 performance 1 and performance 2 of Doven Souls on Vimeo.
Line and Diversions (2023) excerpt
Choreography, Costumes, and Projection Design: Tim Glenn
Music: Bear and Everyday by Carly Commando, arranged and performed by Daniel Smith
Utilizing staging images throughout the process of Tim Glenn's work provided a different experience for the performers involved from the first rehearsal to the final product. Restaging any work requires meticulous attention to detail, which the tool of streamlined staging notation aided significantly. As a performer, seeing the pathways visually on the screen allowed me to translate them onto my body physically in real time as if the images were guiding me through the piece. A visual reference for each dancer's movement alongside the next created a system for the restaging process, which allowed us to work collaboratively and efficiently. The specificity of the notation/imaging used in Glenn's restaging process contributed to our successes as performers, allowing us to recreate Line and Diversions with appropriate care.
– Katie Rolph, BFA, FSU Dance
The process of learning Line and Diversions was unlike any other restaging process I have been a part of. The use of detailed pathways projected during rehearsal allowed me to have a clear understanding of my personal, spatial trajectory, as well as a unique bird's eye view of the whole piece. The projections acted as a key memory tool and created spatial precision and awareness between every member of the cast. Because it directly translated onto our floor patterns, I could visualize my pathway for the whole piece simply by imagining it from above and it allowed me to understand complex, multilayered pathways in just a few images. It was a totally different perspective and gave me a new appreciation for how we as dancers mold and paint the stage, not only in how we move, but where.
– Rachel Fontenot, BFA, FSU Dance
Light in Blue on Black (2022) excerpt
Choreography, Costumes, Lighting, and Projection Design: Tim Glenn
Music: Wave Cycles and Solas by Jane Antonia Cornish
See excerpts from Light in Blue on Black, the full-length performance, or the creative process on Vimeo.
Working with detailed staging images was an immensely efficient experience. The visual clarity of the pathways and staging notes made it easy to internalize complex blocking and transitions and helped to provide a foundation for the entirety of the cast. Projecting the images during rehearsals allowed us to understand the pathways within space and emphasize the precision and artistry of the choreography. This method not only documents dance for future restaging but also provides a useful tool for deepening the understanding of spatial relationships and intent within the work.
– Kat Enoch, BFA, FSU Dance