If the release of iOS 11 and Apple’s new ARKit — which lets developers create augmented reality apps — has you dancing over to the App Store, perhaps learning a few steps while you’re there would be a good idea.
Dance Reality is a new app that helps users get their footwork down by placing AR footprints on the floor in front of you. Dancers can look through their smartphones to see the footprints and follow the animation to practice common dance moves.
It was developed in Seattle by two salsa dancers, Andy Albani and Bee Mattox, who launched the company in July after seeing the ARKit demo at Apple’s WWDC. They thanked 1,000 beta testers from all over the world for providing feedback in the months before this week’s release.
The app description stresses that Dance Reality is “not intended to be a substitute for proper dance instruction, but rather a tool to practice steps and rhythm anywhere, anytime.”
“We are partnering with professional dancers from all over the world to bring dance training from the masters,” product manager Bee Mattox said in a blog post. “We work directly with some of the best dancers in each category to produce exclusive content for the app. They are thrilled about the ability to teach to dancers worldwide. We are working hard to produce the corresponding animations as quickly as we can, so stay tuned for more amazing dance collections coming soon.”
Some of the features of the app include:
- Voice-over to help users stay on beat
- Choose follow or lead steps
- Solo and couple practice
- Instructional videos from trained dancers
Albani, the CEO, previously said on Product Hunt that it doesn’t matter if users have two left feet.
“When we were beginner dancers, it was difficult to remember the steps while staying on the beat. Using Augmented Reality, we are making it easier for everyone to practice at home. Let us know what you think!”
Download Dance Reality in the App Store.
