Dancetown combines the fun of arcade games with the benefits of dance and physical exercise, and applies it for the first time to the needs of mature adults.

Current exercise programs for seniors – free weights, treadmills, stair machines, elliptical trainers and so on – can provide physical benefits when followed consistently, but they often fail because they are not fun to use. DanceTown is a revolutionary change, introducing a radically new kind of wellness program based on successful approaches adapted from the game industry.

What is Dancetown?

Dancetown is an exercise and fitness system designed for older adults. Dancetown players dance on a square platform called a dance pad. The dance pad has nine 12” x 12” squares, four of which are marked with arrows; forward, backward, left and right. The dance mat is connected to a personal computer, which drives a display device. The display device is generally a television but can also be a computer monitor or LCD projector.

Graphics on a television or computer screen guide the dancer’s movements by a system of scrolling arrows of four types - up, down, left and right - which rise from the bottom to the top of the screen. As the arrows scroll up to the top of the screen, they cross over a set of four silhouette arrows, also up, down, left, right. The player must step on the corresponding arrow on the dance pad at the same time that the scrolling arrow crosses its silhouette.

The steps are set to music and become more complex and frequent as the dancer improves. Beginning steps are at the frequency and intensity of usual pace walking. After each dance, the dancer gets feedback on the number of correct steps and their overall score. As the dancer masters the dance, the score improves and the dancer can see his or her progress over time.