Wave physics as a choreographic notation for partner dance

Abstract

The wave is considered a paradigm in dance and connects bodily expression with nature. Although wave concepts such as propagation and phase have proven to be powerful tools for dance analysis, many aspects of bodily expression, including partner dance, have been investigated using numerical approaches and neural networks. Complementarily, compact analytical models have been especially successful for describing human motion, particularly gait. Here, we show that expressive-motion trajectories in partner dance can be reconstructed using physically interpretable analytical wave and oscillator models. We apply this framework to Bachata Sensual, a dance style in which the wave is the leitmotif. We analyse three couples (Phase I) performing five fundamental sequences and one composite. The sequences exhibit multiple wave-related phenomena, including time-dependent interference and harmonic-like modal relations. As an illustrative acoustic analogy, coupled modes with a frequency ratio remarkably close to 3:1, analogous to a harmonic relation, can be mapped to audible frequencies, forming musical dyads. Not rigidly constrained by body morphology, modal response can be tuned to underpin fluid motion, adapting across musical timescales and movement patterns. Overall, within this wave-physics perspective, the formalism can be viewed as a choreographic motion notation highlighting connections between partner-dance expressivity and harmonic nature.