Dance Spirit Previews Dance Sensation! for Wii

It’s a nasty day in NYC, but a couple of Dance Spirit editors braved the elements to see a preview of the the soon-to-be released Wii video game, Dance Sensation!. And the slushy trek was well worth it, because the game exceeded all expectation.

The Dance Sensation! format is different from other dance video games: Players don’t do any dancing. Instead, they swing, swivel and shake the Wii remote to control the person on screen—an adorable young dancer with a killer wardrobe.

The game begins in a studio, where you learn moves in one of four different styles: ballet, jazz, hip-hop or Latin. After you’ve mastered your technique (i.e. learned how to move the remote so the dancer on screen does the desired step), you can perform pre-set routines in a variety of venues. We saw a jazz performance on an outside stage that featured roving spotlights and confetti. Points rack up as you execute moves correctly and keep the crowd entertained. And if you’re really good, you can even freestyle, creating your own choreography on the spot.

What was most impressive about Dance Sensation! was the movement vocabulary. Pas de boureés, pirouettes, stag leaps—they’re all there. And because the game’s creators used motion capture, the dancing looks surprisingly smooth and realistic.

You can also play the game with friends, performing the choreography side-by-side. Dance Sensation! seems like the perfect way to spend a night off with your dance buds.