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Sani Dance

Sani Dance

Summary:
ACCAD uses motion capture to create a database of culturally important motions. In this project Prof. Huang performs four dances from the Sani people.

Man with MoCap suit dancing

Participants:
Maria Palazzi, Director of ACCAD
Brian Windsor, Motion Capture Supervisor, ACCAD
Mark Bender, Interpreter and Host to Professor Huang, East Asian Languages and Literature
Huang Jianming, Performer, Central Nationalities University, Beijing
Hyun Jung Chae, GRA, Department of Dance

Summary:
Using motion capture, the research team collected a database of culturally important motions. The motions were archived using a combination of motion capture and digital video. The outcome produced both 2D and 3D references. The ability to view the motion from any viewpoint expands ones ability to examine, learn from, and preserve the dances.

October 28, 2003, Mark Bender of the Ohio State University Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures invited Professor Huang Jianming (Central Nationalities University, Beijing) to visit. Prof. Huang performed four culturally significant dances from the Sani people. The Sani people are located in Shilin County, near the Stone Forest tourist site in Yunnan Province, SW China. The dances included:  the young male dance, young female dance, elder man dance, and elder woman dance.

ACCAD hopes to expand the cultural database for archival purposes.  A future outcome could include repatriating historically native dances to those who have lost contact with their culture(s).

Sponsored by Battelle Endowment for Technology and Human Affairs