In this paper we propose a framework for the computational extraction of time characteristics of a single choreographic work. Computational frameworks can aid in revealing non-salient compositional structures in modern dance. The computational extraction of such features allows for the creation of interactive works where the movement and the digital feedback (graphics, sound etc) are integrally connected at deep level of structures. It also facilitates a better understanding of the choreographic process. There are two key contributions in this paper: (a) a systematic analysis of the observable and non-salient aspects of solo dance form, (b) computational analysis of temporal phrasing structures guided by critical understanding of observable form. Our analysis results are excellent indicating the presence of rich, latent temporal organization in specific semi-improvisatory modern dance works that may provide rich structural material for interactivity.

This paper deals with phrase structure detection in contemporary western dance. Phrases are a sequence of movements that exist at a higher semantic abstraction than gestures. The problem is important since phrasal structure in dance, plays a key role in communicating meaning. We detect two fundamental dance structures - ABA and the Rondo, as they form the basis for more complex movement sequences. There are two key ideas in our work - (a) the use of a topological framework for deterministic structure detection and (b) novel phrasal distance metrics. The topological graph formulation succinctly captures the domain knowledge about the structure. We show how an objective function can be constructed given the topology. The minimization of this function yields the phrasal structure and phrase boundaries. The distance incorporates both movement and hierarchical body structure. The results are excellent with low median error of 7% (ABA) and 15% (Rondo).