Digitizing traditional dances under extreme clothing: The case study of Eyo

Abstract

This work studies the challenges associated with capturing the movement of dance performers wearing traditional African masquerade garments, specifically focusing on the Eyo masquerade dance, a cultural heritage creation from Lagos, Nigeria, and discusses the crucial role the costume has in enhancing the overall performance. The work particularly investigates the capabilities and limitations of current motion capture technology in effectively capturing the movements of both the dancer and the costume, especially when the performer wears what we refer to as “extreme clothing”, such as full body costumes or heavy garments. To overcome these challenges, we employ a combination of motion capture technologies to precisely capture the movements of the performer both with and without the costume, while assessing their respective advantages and limitations. Furthermore, we analyze the disparities in motion quality between these two scenarios to comprehend the influence of the costume on the overall performance. This research has led to the development of an efficient pipeline for digitizing and visualizing folk dances featuring intricate and bulky costumes. The findings of this study offer invaluable insights into the application of motion capture technology for acquiring the movements of performers, including the deformation of their costumes, in cultural heritage dances. As a final outcome of this work, we present a visually captivating animation showcasing an Eyo masquerade dance performance, underscoring the potential of motion capture technology as a tool for preserving and promoting cultural heritage dances.