August 13, 2025

Meherunnesa Momo

The Young Women’s Leadership School of Queens 

11th Grade

Have you ever watched a cartoon or animated character dance and wondered how they did that? Behind the smooth moves of virtual characters or the synchronized performances of digital idols, there's a powerful technology working behind the scenes: motion capture.

Motion capture, often shortened to “mocap,” is a technology that records human movement and transfers it onto a digital screen. This technique allows the animators and choreographers to bring in realistic motion into films, games, and even virtual live concerts. While it has been used in video games and film for years, it's now advancing and playing an important role in the world of dance.

Motion capture dates all the way back to the early 20th century, when many artists studied motion by drawing over film stills. It wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s that motion capture had developed into the digital tool that is often used today. Many early types of mocap used markers on a performer’s body to track motion with cameras. Over time, the technology got more advanced to include real-time motion tracking, which allows the choreographers and animators to see the movements come to life on the screen instantly.

For example, many popular movies like Avatar and video games like League of Legends have brought motion capture to use. However, the dance world is still exploring how this technology can be more than just entertainment and more like a tool used for creation in performances in the virtual world.

Today, many choreographers use mocap to plan out performances and bring out new dances to the screens. Rather than focusing only on physical rehearsal, artists now create and test the choreography digitally. They use the data from a dancer’s body to see how a certain move will look from different angles or even emphasize movement to create effects not possible in reality. This gives new ways to experiment with the timing, space, and style.

Virtual performers are another growing example of this shift. K-pop utilizes motion capture to animate digital artist groups like MAVE and PLAVE. The performers don’t exist in the real world, but they dance, sing, and interact with fans online. The creators behind these groups use real dancers and actors wearing mocap suits and using dance techniques to record performances. These movements are then translated onto 3D avatars, which then allows the group to perform in music videos and virtual shows with the right timing and visuals. It takes skilled choreography and advanced animation tools to make these performances look and feel like they’re real.

K/DA is a virtual girl group created by Riot Games. The group is based on characters from the video game League of Legends, and the dances in their music videos come from motion capture sessions with professional dancers. The realistic dance moves help fans feel more connected to the virtual idols, even though they are computer-generated.

Looking into the future, mocap could be used even more in dance education and global performance. Dancers and teachers might collaborate in virtual studios. Choreographers could design pieces with dancers who are not in the same location physically. Artists may also create dance works that would be impossible to perform in person due to physics or safety, using mocap to make these visions come alive digitally.

Motion capture will never fully replace the presence of live dance. However, it is rapidly becoming a relevant tool for creation and performance in the dance industry. It gives artists and producers the ability to blend reality with imagination, as well as bring movement to virtual spaces like never before.