The 3D Motion Capturing Process of Greek Traditional Dance “Syrtos in Three” and a Proposed Method for the Sex Identification of Performing Dancers (Terpsichore Project)

Abstract

The UNESCO considers as part of the cultural heritage of a place, the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) which is a practice, an expression or representation and knowledge or skill, as well as instruments, objects and cultural places. The cultural heritage includes the traditions or living expressions inherited from the ancestors and passed on to the descendants, not only the monuments or collections of objects. Such features are oral traditions, social practices, arts, festive events and generally, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. Terpsichore project targets at integrating the latest innovative results of photogrammetry, semantic technologies, computer vision and time evolved modelling, along with traditional choreography and narrative. The study, design, research, education, analysis, implementation and validation of an innovative framework for accessible digitization, modelling, archiving, online preservation and presentation of ICH content related folk dances is reflected in the project. The Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences of the Aristotle University was involved in the project in the performance of six traditional Greek dances and the three-dimensional capturing. Specifically, in the present work with the process of 3D recording of the movement of the Greek traditional dance “Syrtos in three”, the method for identifying the dancers’ gender will be proposed. The results showed that using 3D motion capturing we may recognize the sex of the dancer through the trajectories of toes markers and the kinematic data of joints angles. Regarding kinematic data founded differences at the means of angles of the hip, the knee and the ankle joints. Male dancers showed narrower angles in all mentioned joints of all six steps than the angles of female dancers during the implementation of the Greek traditional dance “Syrtos in three steps”.