2015
author
Małgorzata Burkacka (PL)
title
A Handbook for Studying Dance
degree
M.A. project
e-mail
school
Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice
supervisor
Prof. Tomasz Bierkowski
In Motion – the name given to this handbook app – is, according to the designer, “a complex tool that combines film, animation, and knowledge of the body, aiming to facilitate dance students’ understanding of movement.” The app includes a recording of moves and a set of instructions. It is meant to instruct and to stir the imagination. “I have created a tool whose task is to make dancers realize how important it is to prepare oneself to dance with the right warm‑up, isolating certain movements, and showing the user the range of muscles which are active (and thus prone to injury) in those movements.” From the home page the user goes on to choose a movement, the aim of study. The following stages provide full training. Apart from the very thorough structure, the instruction films deserve special mention, as they highlight the active muscles and parts of the body prone to injury. The entire training is divided into parts, in which the movement directions and foot placements are very legibly marked. Refined typography and micropictograms help you navigate the page easily, rounding out the whole.