Way back in the day, my good friend (and dorm RA) Eric Level, said to me, “You should think about applying for a Thomas Watson Fellowship considering you’re doing math, computers, and ballet.” Well, I took him up on that suggestion and was awarded a fellowship to do an independent study project in England under the mentorship of Roger Banks.

The focus of the project was two-fold: 1) to see if I could invent and build a notation system using human animation on microcomputers and 2) see if any dance companies might have an interest in using such a tool.

Over the course of nine months, I created the first version of the DOM Notation System that animated a human dancer on a computer screen. As this was pre-mouse and pre-windows, I had to invent an input system that could be used by choreographers and teachers using just a keyboard. As I was also in reasonably good shape as a dancer, I arranged to take class with and meet with several ballet companies throughout Europe and Israel to tell them of the idea and to judge their interest.

While in Stockholm meeting with the Royal Swedish Ballet, I witnessed a rehearsal in a converted post office building in January of that year. The dancers were freezing and had to wait while the choreography reviewed his notes to review steps and instruct the dancers. Well, that sealed the deal for me. It was clearly inefficient and possibly bad news for the dancers who had to struggle to keep warm while waiting. In addition, the company was paying the dancers to stand around.

Having played cello in many orchestras before, during, and after college, I knew that with a usable notation system, dancers of all ages could have a wildly different experience – more like musicians of all ages and skill levels. They could learn the steps on their own time, rehearse the sequences of choreography before rehearsal and have a ready tool to review their work during rehearsal.

Upon returning to the US, I tested my hypothesis on a group of fourth graders in Palo Alto and was thrilled to see that the concept worked. And, at this time, these kids were not computer literate by any stretch of the imagination.

I embarked on the process of setting up my first company, Mirage Graphics, marketing the “beta” version of the DOM Notation System, and speaking at several conferences. Several systems were sold and many dance companies expressed interest in finding out more through demos and sales material. However, I was not able to sell enough to earn a living and had to shelve the idea to get on with my life.

After years of working in video games and software, supporting a family, and watching the advancements in technology, I began laying the foundation for capturing the dream of becoming the first “Dance Publisher” using a new version of DOM that we’re calling FootNotes.

Originally doing tests with Unity, it became clear that a new version was within reach leveraging new and emergent technologies. Many of the original ideas were simply too soon to implement. Now, however, it is clear that the technology has caught up with the idea.

Leveraging 3D systems such as Unity and/or UnReal, AI systems, LLMs, and machine learning, it is time to more aggressively work on FootNotes.

FootNotes is envisioned to be a platform for movement professionals to create (i.e., notate) movements for others to learn. While learning watching a video performance is helpful, video recordings are not really the right technology for dancers and movers to learn from.

The FootNotes system will incorporate a variation of the original keyboard/shortcut input method along with video capture from both pre-recorded and live performances. Using keyboard, mouse, hand gesture, and voice commands, notators and creators will be able to efficiently enter choreography for existing and new works creating an opportunity for dancers and movers everywhere to have access to the “real thing.” This also provides a mechanism for choreographers to get paid for their works.

There are still some features that I’ll leave undisclosed at this point as we believe that we’ll be applying for patents soon on these features. Stay tuned!

And, as an especially important feature that I look forward to, for the first time, dance and movement teachers of beginning and intermediate students will no longer have to make up their own work, but can use the works of the masters to level up their students. This has been a part of the success of teaching beginning musicians for years and can now become available to dancers.

This doesn’t mean teachers can’t create their own works. In fact, what it means is that they can have a tool to create and communicate and distritube their original efforts for training exercises and choreography.

It has always been an important point of view of mine that this system isn’t just for ballet or modern or jazz dancers. Or just for dancers of any kind. Any person or group that moves would benefit such as marching bands, cheer squads, martial artists, sports of all kinds, and more.