D A N C E M I X E R
an interactive music installation idea for a dance school : 2011

Beside listening and playing, dancing is considered another form of music appreciation. Syncing body movement with ongoing music enhances an impression in both the dancer and the viewer. Not only for mind-pleasure, dancing is also an entertaining way to exercise and improve body posture. If all is good, why not start dancing?

This dance school promotes itself by setting an installation called Dance Mixer, at Fat Festival, Thailand's most popular annual music fair. Made of an interactive dance floor and a back LED display, it lets anyone on the floor add a sound to mix in with the music currently playing, by stepping on graphic symbols. As the dancer stomps on, the symbol will appear on the display, creating a real-time motion graphic to accompany the music. From time to time, dance tutors will come to play their steps and teach visitors.

Overall, it grants you an ability to control your dance moves, the music, the visuals behind, and the crowd's applause. A mimic to an absolute dance sensation.

Below is a diagram of how Dancemixer works. The system consists of force sensor circuits: a force sensor attached underneath a graphic symbol connecting to arduino, which operates the LED screen and speakers. Each circuit is separated for different outcomes. When stepping on a symbol, its force sensor will transmit the pressure to arduino. After calculating, arduino will display a selected visual on the LED screen and a sound with the speakers.

How a visual forms on the LED screen is up to the type of step a force sensor recieves, ranging from weight, steps per minute and step rhythm. For sound, it remains the same no matter how you step on the symbol for musical consistency, but repeats according to step number.