Towards the Concept of Digital Dance and Music Instruments

This paper discusses the creation of instruments in which music is intentionally generated by dance. We introduce the conceptual framework of Digital Dance and Music Instruments (DDMI). Several DDMI have already been created, but they have been developed isolatedly, and there is still a lack of a common process of ideation and development. Knowledge about Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs) and Interactive Dance Systems (IDSs) can contribute to the design of DDMI, but the former brings few contributions to the body's expressiveness, and the latter brings few references to an instrumental relationship with music. Because of those different premises, the integration between both paradigms can be an arduous task for the designer of DDMI. The conceptual framework of DDMI can also serve as a bridge between DMIs and IDSs, serving as a lingua franca between both communities and facilitating the exchange of knowledge. The conceptual framework has shown to be a promising analytical tool for the design, development, and evaluation of new digital dance and music instrument.