Dance notation
Symbolic systems for recording and preserving dance movement.
Dance notation uses symbols, figures, path maps, numbers, or letters to represent human movement and form. Many systems exist, some tailored to specific dance styles and others aiming to capture a wide range of motion. A dance score is a written notation that records a particular dance.
These notations primarily serve to preserve dance history through documentation and analysis—such as in ethnochoreology—or to reconstruct choreography, dance forms, and exercises. They also enable dance works to be documented and thus potentially copyrighted.
In Western culture, two widely used systems are Labanotation (also called Kinetography Laban) and Benesh Movement Notation. Others include Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation and DanceWriting. Many systems are designed for specific dances, like Shorthand Dance Notation for Israeli dances, Morris Dance Notation for Morris dance, and Beauchamp–Feuillet Notation for Baroque dance. Such systems usually cannot effectively describe other dance types.
Pierre Beauchamp invented a notation for Baroque dance in the 1680s. Published in 1700 by Raoul Auger Feuillet, it was used throughout the eighteenth century. The Sergeyev Collection, recorded using Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov’s 1892 method, documents the Imperial Ballet’s repertoire from the turn of the 20th century, including Marius Petipa’s original choreography for *The Sleeping Beauty*, *Giselle*, *Le Corsaire*, *Swan Lake*, *Coppélia*, and the original *The Nutcracker*. This collection enabled many of these works to be staged outside Russia for the first time. In 1934, composer Joseph Schillinger devised a highly accurate notation based on a dancer’s 3D bone rotation and translation, but motion capture technology did not yet exist to measure and record it. In 1948, Hanya Holm became the first Broadway choreographer to copyright her dance scores, for *Kiss Me, Kate*. Stanley D. Kahn published Kahnotation, a tap dance notation system, in 1951. Rudolf and Joan Benesh first published Benesh Movement Notation in 1956, widely used for recording and restaging dance. Eshkol and Wachman published their movement notation in 1958. Romanian choreographer Theodor Vasilescu released a notation for Romanian folk dances in 1969. In the 1970s, North Korean choreographer U Chang-sop developed the Chamo System for Korean dance, using pictorially based symbols. In 1975, Ann Hutchinson Guest reconstructed Arthur Saint-Léon’s *Pas de Six* from his 1844 ballet *La Vivandière* for the Joffrey Ballet, using Saint-Léon’s own notation method, La Sténochorégraphie. The first computerized notation system, DOM (Dance on Microprocessor), was created by Eddie Dombrower for Apple II computers in 1982, displaying an animated figure performing specified moves. In 2017, Felipe Hsieh created Tango Notation, a system specific to Argentine tango.
- field
- Dance notation systems
- known_for
- Historical dance preservation, reconstruction, and copyrighting of choreography
- notable_systems
- Labanotation, Benesh Movement Notation, Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation, DanceWriting
Lore & Background
Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, employing methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Many systems have been invented, some designed to document specific types of dance while others aim to capture a broader spectrum of human movement potential. A dance score is a recorded notation that describes a particular dance. The primary uses of dance notation include historical preservation through documentation and analysis, such as in ethnochoreology, and the reconstruction of choreography, dance forms, and technical exercises. Notation systems also allow dance works to be documented and copyrighted. Two popular systems in Western culture are Labanotation (also known as Kinetography Laban) and Benesh Movement Notation; others include Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation and DanceWriting. Many systems are designed for specific dances, such as Shorthand Dance Notation for dances from Israel, Morris Dance Notation for Morris dance, and Beauchamp–Feuillet Notation for Baroque dance, and thus cannot effectively describe other types. Notable historical systems include Pierre Beauchamp’s invention in the 1680s, published in 1700 by Raoul Auger Feuillet, and Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov’s method used in the Sergeyev Collection, which documents the Imperial Ballet’s repertoire. In 1934, composer Joseph Schillinger created a notation based on 3D bone rotation and translation. In 1948, Hanya Holm became the first Broadway choreographer to copyright dance scores. Stanley D. Kahn published Kahnotation for tap dance in 1951. Rudolf and Joan Benesh published Benesh Movement Notation in 1956, and Eshkol and Wachman published their exposition in 1958. Theodor Vasilescu published a system for Romanian folk dances in 1969. In the 1970s, U Chang-sop developed the Chamo System for Korean dance using pictorially based symbols. In 1975, Ann Hutchinson Guest reconstructed Arthur Saint-Léon’s *Pas de Six* from his own notation method, La Sténochorégraphie. The first computerized notation system, DOM, was created in 1982 by Eddie Dombrower. In 2017, Felipe Hsieh created Tango Notation for Argentine tango.
Reader's Guide
Dance notation serves as a crucial tool for historical dance preservation, allowing choreography to be documented, analyzed, and reconstructed across time and geography. Systems like Labanotation and Benesh Movement Notation have become standard in Western culture, while others such as Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation and DanceWriting offer alternative approaches. The Sergeyev Collection, using Stepanov's notation, enabled many Imperial Ballet works to be staged outside Russia for the first time. Specialized systems like Kahnotation for tap dance, Beauchamp–Feuillet notation for Baroque dance, and Tango Notation for Argentine tango highlight the diversity of movement forms. These systems collectively ensure that dance, an ephemeral art, can be preserved and revived for future generations.
Did You Know?
- The Sergeyev Collection, recorded using Stepanov's notation, documents the Imperial Ballet's repertoire including Petipa's original choreography for The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Coppélia, and the
- In 2017, Felipe Hsieh created Tango Notation, a dance notation system specific to Argentine tango.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dance notation?
Dance notation is a symbolic system for representing human dance movement and form in a recorded medium. It relies on tools such as graphic symbols, spatial path mapping, numerical codes, and letter- or word-based descriptions to capture how a body moves through time and space.
What are the most well-known dance notation systems?
The four most widely recognized systems are Labanotation, Benesh Movement Notation, Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation, and DanceWriting. Some were designed to document particular dance styles, while others aim to capture the full range of possible human movement.
What is a dance score?
A dance score is a completed, recorded notation that describes one specific piece of choreography. It functions as the written blueprint of a particular dance, much the way a musical score serves as the blueprint for a composition.
Why is dance notation important to the dance world?
It lets choreographers preserve their work so it can be faithfully reconstructed by other dancers long after the original performance. It also provides a legal basis for copyrighting choreography and helps historians recover dances that would otherwise be lost to time.
What methods does dance notation use to record movement?
Notation systems draw on a mix of graphic symbols and figures, spatial path mapping, numerical coding, and letter- or word-based descriptions. The exact combination depends on which system is in use and what kind of movement is being captured.
More in Dance 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record