Relational Navigator
This Interactive interface is actually a scientifically based method of comparing performances based upon the digital analysis of the dancers' movements over time. The scientists of Numediart in the Polytechnical University of Mons have developed a set of descriptor quantifying tools based upon their previous research and development of HyFORGE – specifically hypermedia navigation and body and media.
The tool set analyses the two video files : the basic front shot and a bird's eye top shot that is recorded especially for this process. The files are sent through filters that quantify various aspects such as speed, spatial use, proximity to the camera, the visual size of the body, the level of height that predominates the solo, the directions of turning and movement etc. Twenty streams of information are returned from each performance. This objective information is then used to present relationships between dances. Four characteristics are automatically chosen in the interface so that solos can be spatially grouped according to their similarities. Therefore two dances may be very close neighbors in regards to one characteristic of comparison such as proximity to the camera, but may be distant from each other in another characteristic such as speed.
The relationships can be further explored by selecting a dancer's thumbnail and then "more related videos" which puts that solo into the center and then presents other related videos in the four categories that are generated. One can continue this process using any video that is on the screen to navigate through relationships. By selecting the refresh button a new relationship set is generated with the same video in the center. The reset button generates a whole new constellation of relationships from scratch.
