If you can animate dance - you can animate anything

Why talk about dance in animation at all?

I recently received a letter from a company asking, “Do you specialize only in dancing figures, or can you do something else?” At first, I was a little confused. Because to me, it sounded as strange as if a professional musician were asked, “Can you only perform complex pieces, or can you do simpler ones too?”

For some reason, the animation industry has come to believe that dance is a narrow niche, a kind of secondary specialization. If you make dancing characters, it means you can only do music videos or something frivolous. But in fact, the opposite is true.

When I say that I do dance animation, I don't mean that I can “only” create dances, but that I can create “even dances.” Dance is not a limitation. It is a complex skill that requires a much deeper understanding of movement, rhythm, balance, and anatomy than it seems at first glance. Any professional animator knows that animating dance well is more difficult than simple actions such as walking, running, or jumping.

Perhaps it's because dance is usually perceived as entertainment. Something light, frivolous, superficial. This creates a paradox: we see thousands of character animations that look perfect in static poses, but as soon as we try to make them move, everything falls apart before our eyes. This is because it is easy to hide a lack of skill behind a beautiful pose, but when in motion, everything becomes immediately apparent.

So when people ask me if I can do anything other than dance, I always think to myself, “Are you serious?” If an animator is capable of convincingly bringing a dance to life, then they are capable of convincingly bringing any movement to life. Dance does not limit - it opens up enormous possibilities. It's just that not everyone has realized this yet.

“If you can animate dance, you can animate anything.” Why is this true?

Many people who work in animation know very well that any character movement can be divided into basic types: walking, jumping, turning, idle animations (simple, repetitive movements at rest), and so on. At first glance, these tasks seem simpler than dance, and in fact they are. Why?

Let's imagine that we need to animate a character walking from point A to point B. It would seem that what could be easier? We set a few key frames, make sure the movement is smooth, and voilà - the character walks convincingly. But when you already know how to animate dance, even such a simple task becomes even easier. The fact is that after hundreds of hours of working with dance animation, you begin to feel the rhythm and timing automatically. You no longer just move the character's legs or arms; you intuitively understand how they shift their body weight, where their center of gravity is, and how smoothly and naturally their joints should move. What used to take a lot of time and thought starts to happen almost automatically.

When I first started working in animation and was doing simple tasks like walking or jumping, each new movement was a separate task that required focus and a lot of editing. But as soon as I immersed myself in dance animation, something amazing happened: the tasks that had previously seemed difficult to me began to feel almost elementary. After dancing, where you constantly track dozens of movement parameters at the same time, ordinary walking already seems like a task for beginners.

Dance gives an animator a huge set of skills that are very difficult to acquire otherwise. It's not just a sense of rhythm and timing, but also the ability to track the smallest movements and interactions between body parts in detail. For example, when animating idle movement, you usually just need to make the character look alive while at rest - they shift their weight slightly from foot to foot, move their head a little, breathe, and it seems like that's enough. But after dance animation, you start to see more. You begin to notice that even idle animation has an internal rhythm and logic: how the character shifts their weight, how they breathe, how the slightest micro-movements can convey their emotions and state of mind.

Another important skill that develops through dance animation is a deep understanding of anatomy and body mechanics. In dance, you cannot afford to break the rules of biomechanics. Every joint, every movement, every pose must be convincing and physiologically accurate. You learn to see through the character's anatomy - to understand how muscles, joints, and tendons work, even if it's just a digital model. And this knowledge begins to be reflected in all your other work, because any movement becomes not just a technical task for you, but a meaningful action that needs to be conveyed as convincingly as possible.

That is why I often repeat that dance is not a limitation or a niche. It is the highest school of animation. If you are able to make a movement beautiful and convincing at the level of dance, then you can handle any other task. The difficulty is not in the specific action, but in the skill of seeing and controlling every little detail. And this skill is best developed precisely in working with dance.

Why shouldn't you be afraid of animators who specialize in dance?

Throughout my career in animation, I've noticed one surprising thing: for some reason, clients are often intimidated when an animator specializes in dance. Not intimidated in the literal sense, of course, but it raises doubts and questions. And I think I even understand why this happens.

The stereotype usually goes like this: if a person does dance animation, then that's all they can do. Supposedly, they are a narrow specialist who can't do anything else. Or even worse, they think that he is an “artistic type” who cannot cope with technical, more applied tasks, such as animating combat scenes, walkthroughs, or gameplay elements. Clients often think in a stereotypical way: if the portfolio consists mainly of dancing, then someone else is needed for everything else.

But let's be honest: this is a very superficial view. The irony is that dance animation is the exact opposite of narrow specialization. It is one of the most complex and technically challenging tasks an animator can have. Dance is a test of everything at once: a sense of rhythm, knowledge of anatomy, precision of movement, control over details, and cleanliness of execution. If an animator is capable of creating a convincing dance, it will be easy for them to handle much less complex tasks. But, alas, for some reason, few people understand this.

What's also interesting is that clients fear that a “dancing” animator will not be able to adapt to different tasks. But in reality, the opposite is true - it is precisely the experience of working with dance that makes an animator as adaptable and technically savvy as possible. When I have to switch from dancing to other animations or simple everyday movements, I am even happy - because it is much easier. Anyone who can dance well can handle any other task. Simply because they already have an understanding of the fundamental principles of movement and an excellent sense of timing and rhythm.

Now for an important point: how to properly evaluate an animator's portfolio to understand their real level? Often, customers just look at a pretty picture and don't go any further. But a real assessment should go deeper. It's worth paying attention not just to the final result, but to how the character moves: the smoothness of the movements, the absence of strange jerks, the natural physics of the body, the expressiveness of the poses, and the correct distribution of weight. A good animator doesn't just move the character, they create the illusion of life, where every gesture and every movement looks natural.

It's especially important to look at the details. Pay attention to how the character holds their head, how their shoulders, hands, and even fingers move. A good specialist never ignores the little things, because it is these little things that make up a convincing picture. It is also important to look at the emotionality and persuasiveness of the movements. Even in the simplest scene, you should feel that the character is alive. And here, again, animators with dance experience always have an advantage: for them, the emotionality and expressiveness of movements have long been the norm.

Therefore, if you are a client or director and you need to choose an animator for a project, try to look deeper and broader. Don't be afraid of specialists who work a lot with dance. On the contrary, you should pay special attention to them - most likely, you are dealing with a professional with a high level of control, attention to detail, and a sense of rhythm, which guarantees high-quality performance of almost any task. And this is not theory, but my personal experience - both as an animator and as a person who has repeatedly encountered such erroneous stereotypes on the part of clients.

Most likely, these stereotypes will disappear in the coming years. But until that happens, my recommendation to clients is simple: if you want a really strong animator, start by carefully studying the dance works in their portfolio. This will likely give you a much better understanding of the specialist's actual level than any other formal indicators, such as a beautiful show reel or high-profile project names.

Why can dance change the digital industry?

Today, virtual characters and digital avatars have become part of everyday reality. They appear in advertisements, fashion shows, music videos, create their own accounts, and even release albums. The digital industry is actively developing, with vivid images, futuristic locations, and impressive graphics appearing. But more and more often, when I look at these characters, I catch myself thinking: why, despite all the technological advances, do they still look so lifeless?

It's all about movement. Most digital avatars today are fairly static models. Yes, they look beautiful in photos and short promotional videos, where there is almost no movement, or it is limited to the maximum. But as soon as a character starts to move a little more actively than simply raising a hand, all the magic immediately disappears. Suddenly, it becomes clear that we are not looking at a living character, but simply a “doll” - even if it is a very beautiful one.

That is why I am sincerely convinced that dance has the potential to fundamentally change the digital fashion, music, and virtual character industries. Why dance? Because it is in dance that movement acquires maximum expressiveness and emotionality. Dance allows a character to show their personality, convey their mood, and even tell a whole story without words. It gives the viewer the opportunity to feel the character, not just see a beautiful picture.

When characters begin to move in a real way - lively, expressive, and convincing - something very important happens: they cease to be mere virtual models. They become full-fledged artists. And the viewer feels it instantly. It is no longer just a set of beautiful polygons and textures, it is something that evokes emotions, something you want to interact with, something interesting to watch.

Imagine a virtual artist who does not move in a formulaic way, following a pre-recorded primitive animation, but in a truly vivid and natural way. An artist who is able to captivate the audience, inspire them, and evoke real emotions - just like live artists on stage.

This gives brands completely new opportunities for collaboration. Now virtual models will be able to not only show clothes in a static state, but also demonstrate how they behave in motion, in dance, in life. Fashion houses will have the opportunity to create truly live digital shows that will be perceived no worse, and possibly better, than regular fashion shows.

The same applies to the music industry. Virtual musicians and artists have the chance to become not just “pictures on a screen,” but full-fledged live stars. Concerts with virtual artists already exist, but they often look rather flat due to a lack of convincing movement. Dance can solve this problem, give the artist character and emotional depth, and make performances truly lively and exciting. People always want to see and feel something real, even if it is virtual reality. Dance can give them that real emotion, which is still so rare in digital culture.

This is exactly what we want to bring to the industry. For us, dance is not just beautiful movements, it is a way to breathe life into virtual characters, to give them the opportunity to communicate with the audience without words. We sincerely believe that this is the future of digital culture and digital fashion. Dance will not only complement the existing industry - it has the power to change it, take it to a whole new level, and create a much deeper and more emotional interaction with the audience. And we are ready to be part of this transformation because we can already see how it can look and work in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When people find out that we do dance animation, they usually have a few typical questions. And that's normal - everyone wants to understand in advance what to expect from working with us. So I will try to answer the questions we are asked most often as clearly and honestly as possible.

• The first question we are often asked is, “Can I order something other than dance from you?”

The answer is, of course. Yes, we specialize in dance because it is our favorite field, which requires the utmost professionalism and precision. But dance is, in fact, the most difficult animation task. So if you need any other animation - walking, running, jumping, acrobatics, idle animations, or fight scenes - we can easily handle it. Anything simpler than dance, we do just as well and even faster.

• Another common question: “Is dance animation more expensive than other types of animation?”

In short, yes, it is usually more expensive. And it's not just because it's dance. Dance animation requires much more time and attention to detail. It involves complex work with movement, details, balance, rhythm, and often the simulation of clothing and hair. But it's a fair price, because the result is always worth the effort. At the same time, we can, of course, do simple animations cheaper and faster.

• “How long does one dance scene take?” is also a very popular question.

It is important to understand that much depends on the complexity of the scene, the level of detail, and the length of the animation. But on average, a full dance scene - from motion capture and cleaning to simulation and final rendering - takes from several days to a week or even more. For example, a 10-second final video with high-quality rendering can take a day just to calculate. This is normal when it comes to high-quality, professional work.

• We are also often asked if we use ready-made motion libraries.

No, we do not use libraries. Ready-made animations are good for quick prototyping or simple tasks. But when it comes to dance, each scene is unique and requires an individual approach. We always do our own motion capture because that's the only way we can guarantee that it fully matches our vision and the required level of quality.

• And finally, the most popular question lately: “Why bother with manual animation when there is AI?”

Indeed, AI can quickly generate simple movements or even imitate dance. But the key word here is “imitate.” Neural networks do not provide accuracy and control; they are not capable of taking into account all the subtleties of movement and nuances of choreography. AI generates something that “roughly resembles” dance, but if you need accuracy, style, character, and emotional depth, you cannot do without professional manual work.

I hope I have been able to clarify the main points and dispel some common misconceptions. It is important to understand that any high-quality animation requires effort, experience, and time. And we always openly explain what our approach consists of so that each client knows in advance what they will get in the end.

Conclusion: Summary and key takeaway

Everything I have said above is not an attempt to convince anyone or impose my point of view. Rather, it is a desire to explain why dance has become the focus of our work and why we take it so seriously and responsibly.

Dance is not really a niche. It is a level of skill that defines an animator's professionalism better than any beautiful show reels or resumes. If you want to check how good a specialist is, just look at their work with movement. Everything becomes clear right away.

How do you know if you need this approach? It all depends on what your goal is. If you just need a “pretty character” or animation that doesn't require depth and subtlety, a simpler approach might work for you. But if you are striving for real emotionality, want to create a character that people will want to follow, or create a digital project with the potential to go far beyond the usual visual standards, then you should pay attention to professionals who can work with movement on a deep level.

I am always open to discussion and joint projects that require this approach. If you have an idea that seems difficult or even impossible, let's discuss it. It is quite possible that our experience with dance animation will allow us to realize it in the best possible way. You can always view our work and see for yourself: https://www.lessidance.com/portfolio.

Dance is not a set of beautiful movements. It is a language, it is character, it is emotion, it is the depth that modern digital projects so desperately need. And we are ready to help you achieve it.

P.S. It would probably be fair to conclude this story by explaining who we are and why we ended up here.

My name is Sergey, and I have spent almost my entire life dancing - from classical and folk performances to professional performances and teaching. I started dancing at the age of 6, and dance has remained a part of me ever since. It has shaped my perception of movement, rhythm, and emotion.

Lessi, my partner and the main performer in all our scenes, is a professional dancer with a completely different profile. Her specialties are dancehall, reggaeton, girly hop, heels, bachata, hip-hop, twerk, etc. Completely different energy, different plasticity, different style, but at the same time, we are united by the main thing: we feel and understand dance as something more than just movement to music.

When we started doing animation, it quickly became clear that dance was the point where our skills, experience, and interests intersected. We wanted to create not just beautiful pictures, but something alive, real, and convincing. Dance turned out to be the perfect way to convey emotions, style, and character without unnecessary words and explanations.

We didn't plan to become “dance animation specialists.” We just realized one day that this direction was the most difficult, the most interesting, and the most valuable. And we really like it. That's why each new project is not a professional challenge, but a personal pleasure.

Perhaps this is the main secret of why we (I believe) are able to create something truly alive. Because we do it not only as professionals, but also as people who live and feel through dance. And as long as we feel it, we will continue to do so.