New iPhone Game Makes Players Perform a Pas de Deux
May 27, 2014

…Or at least spin around until you get dizzy or tangled with your partner. But seriously, this is some high-tech stuff. To play Bounden, partners hold onto a single iPhone and then swing, tilt and turn it to make visual cues on the screen match up in the correct timing, sort of like the movement version of Guitar Hero. (And you thought learning choreography from videos was tough!) Watch game-makers explain the concept and demonstrate here.

Developers from Game Oven worked with choreographer Ernst Meisner and a dozen company members from Dutch National Ballet to translate six dances for the app, plus one piece choreographed specifically for Bounden. Dancers also created video tutorials for users. Watch an example of Bounden choreography here.

Even with virtual guidance from the pros, Bounden will probably get users about as close to actually doing ballet as Guitar Hero gets you to actually shredding Black Sabbath solos. But if the company’s behind-the-scenes videos are any indication, players will have just as much fun doing it! Watch dancers (including Michaela DePrince) give the game a try here.

Bounden – Gameplay Trailer from Game Oven on Vimeo.

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