Asako Soga

Automatic composition and simulation system for ballet sequences

We have developed an automatic composition system for ballet choreographies by using 3DCG animation. Our goal is to develop useful tools in dance education such as a creation-support system for ballet teachers and a self-study system for students. The algorithm for automatic composition was integrated to create utilitarian choreographies. As a result of an evaluation test, we verified that the created choreographies had a possibility to be used in the actual lessons. This system is valuable for online virtual dance experimentation and exploration by teachers and choreographers involved in creative practices, improvisation, creative movement, or dance composition.

Automatic Composition for Contemporary Dance Using 3D Motion Clips: Experiment on Dance Training and System Evaluation

We have developed an automatic composition system for contemporary dance by using 3D motion clips. Our goal is to develop some useful tools in dance education such as creation-support system for teachers and self-study system for students. Our approach is not creating natural connection but creating conceptual sequences using basic motions of contemporary dance. We present an experiment to assess whether sequences randomly selected would be appropriate for contemporary dance training and to determine some effective elements to integrate into the algorithm. As a result of the experiment, our proposed system was found to be useful and helpful for dance training.

Automatic Composition and Simulation System for Ballet Sequences

We have developed an automatic composition system for ballet choreographies by using 3DCG animation. Our goal is to develop some useful tools in dance education such as creation-support system for ballet teachers and self-study system for students. The algorithm for automatic composition was integrated to create utilitarian choreographies. As a result of an evaluation test, we verified that the created choreographies had a possibility to be used in the actual lessons. This system is valuable for online virtual dance experimentation and exploration by teachers and choreographers involved in creative practices, improvisation, creative movement, or dance composition. Automatic composition and simulation system for ballet sequences using 3D motion

A System for Choreographic Simulation of Ballet Using a 3D Motion Archive on the Web

We have developed a system that supports the creation of classical ballet choreography in 3D environments. The system allows ballet teachers to interactively create various choreographies on the Web and to represent them as 3DCG animation. Our research approach focuses on sharing 3D animation data over the Web and reusing motion data effectively. We discuss the standardization of motion data to share them in the Web environment and the creation method of 3DCG animation to simulate choreographies. To develop such a Web-based choreography simulation system, we suggest a method for composing and archiving 3DCG animation on the Web. This allows us to simulate choreography interactively on the Web.

A CG projection method of supporting to stage live performances

Recently many live performances use projected visual images and videos. Our goal is to provide a supporting system for the creative use of CG animation for live performances. This paper describes a method of supporting live stage performances by projecting computer-created visual images. We developed a system to project images in a theatre, and then staged performances with both living actors and virtual CG animations. The system can project images in various types of theatres, and can adapt to the trial and error of rehearsals, not constricted to pre-set programs in actual performances. This paper describes our experience with one of our performances featuring collaborative scenes of actual actors with virtual actors created by CG with human motion-data. Moreover we created transitions representing paradise and various levels of hell. After the performances, we received comments from director and spectators that the projection of CG animations was a fascinating and powerful method for combining live performances and CG.

Feasibility study for ballet e‐learning: automatic composition system for ballet enchaînement with online 3D motion data archive

This paper reports on ‘Web3D dance composer’ for ballet e‐learning. Elementary petit allegro ballet steps were enumerated in collaboration with ballet teachers, digitally acquired through 3D motion capture systems, and categorised into families and sub‐families. Digital data was manipulated into virtual reality modelling language (VRML) and fit to an animated dancer. Movements were segmented and stored in the motion data archive to be freely combinable in sequences by an algorithm for automatic generation of enchaînement conforming to principles of balletic aesthetics. An online interface was created containing controls for automatic composition and the 3D display. In an assessment of the system by expert ballet teachers only 8% of automatically generated enchaînements were inappropriate for ballet lessons, with 65% appropriate for elementary level and 75% rated as danceable by elementary level students. Interviews revealed that the system provided a creative resource for new enchaînements usable in ballet education by teachers and students.

Web3D dance composer: automatic composition of ballet sequences

Our research approach focuses on creating and composing new dance choreographies. As a case study of Web3D technology and its application, we have developed a system that supports the creation of classical ballet choreography in 3D environments. By using existing 3DCG applications, one can simulate already captured or strictly described dance animation. However, it is difficult to compose actual dances by describing the movement of each body part. Our approach composes dance sequences by selecting basic steps from a step list already provided. Since classical ballet typically consists of established steps, one can compose choreographies by connecting them. In addition, our proposed system can automatically create practical choreographies according to an algorithm that describes the characteristic features of ballet. This system can be used for virtual lessons in dance education.

Automatic Composition by Body-Part Motion Synthesis for Supporting Dance Creation

This paper describes a system for supporting the creation of contemporary dance choreography using 3D motion data acquired by motion capture. We developed a system that automatically generates short choreographies by combining a basic motion with multiple body-part motions. The generated choreographies are simulated in 3D animation. It runs on a tablet, so users can select a basic motion and body-part categories by touch operations. The motions are selected and synthesized to the base motion at random timing. To reduce the partial motion synthesis and increase the variety of the generated choreographies, the synthesis timing is adjusted. We experimentally evaluated the effectiveness of our system with eight dancers. From questionnaire results gathered after the experiment, we received many comments about the effectiveness for creation of dance, training of dance techniques, and understanding of dance movements.

A system for motion synthesis of human body parts using a touch panel

This paper describes a support system for choreography creation utilizing data on human body motion archived by motion capture systems. Users of the system can synthesize and compose choreographies using a touch panel device. The users set the motions of each body part to synthesize, and then the synthesized motion is displayed as CG animation in real-time. The system calculates the positions of the floor and body parts and detects inappropriate synthesis motion. The system prevents the creation of inappropriate motions, and thus the users can only create natural motions.

Choreography composition and live performance on a Noh stage

We have been developing a simulation system for dance using a 3D motion archive. Our goal is to provide a supporting system for the creative use of motion data for live performances. We used motion data and this system on a Noh stage, which is normally used by the classic Japanese masked musical drama. The performance was a new Noh based on Shakespeares Macbeth. One challenge in this performance was to create collaborative scenes of real and virtual actors. We displayed virtual actors on a projection screen. We deployed two real actors and one virtual actor as three witches in the Macbeth story. Another challenge was real-time composition of dance on stage. We controlled one of the virtual actors to dance according to the real actors on the stage. In this paper, we describe the method of choreography composition and our experience using the system in a Noh theater.