With the weather getting colder, we start looking for more ideas to stay active inside. I was excited to see the app Go Dance is free today and gave it a little try. I like it! It is a great way to get kids moving in the house when it is too cold to play outside. The app is not perfect, but as long as you are not using it competitively, ie. not trying to get the highest score, it is really fun to have as an active entertaining tool for the kids.
Go Dance uses the device’s front camera as motion-capturing sensor to compare your moves with the dancer’s on the screen. You earn scores based on the quality of your moves, the better your moves match those on the screen, the higher score you get. If you’ve played those dance games in a game center or on a home console, you already know how it works.
Each time before you start a new dance, you need calibrate you move, holding your arms up to match the figure on the screen and stay sill for couple seconds. Once the device is calibrated, you can start dancing. You will see the moves through a live demo on the screen. At the bottom of the screen there are illustrative pictures showing you how to make each move, with arrows showing moving direction and path.
On the left side of the screen, you can see the reflection of your moves, so you can have visual comparison of the differences between your move and the dancer’s on the screen.
Like most games, you will see instant feedback on how well you did on each move. At the end of each dance, you get a score based on your performance. If you want to, you can connect to your friends on Facebook.
I like the app simply because it offers a way to jump and move inside the house, with music and rhythms. The app still has a lot space for improvement, but for pure entertainment, it is a good option for families to stay active during bad weather.
Go Dance is available for iPhone, iPod and iPad. It is usually $1.99 on App Store. It is free today only.
Update: the app is not on App Store at this time.
