From Performers to Creators: Understanding Retired Women's Perceptions of Technology-Enhanced Dance Performance

TL;DR

This study investigates how age-sensitive interactive dance technologies, including AI-generated content, can empower retired women in China to enhance their dance performances and transition from passive audiences to active creators.

Contribution

The paper introduces age-sensitive design principles for interactive dance technologies, integrating AI-generated content to support retired women dancers' artistic expression and empowerment.

Findings

Age-sensitive adaptations lowered technical barriers.

Retired women felt increased authorship and empowerment.

Interactive technologies fostered active participation in dance performance.

Abstract

Over 100 million retired women in China engage in dance, but their performances are constrained by limited resources and age-related decline. While interactive dance technologies can enhance artistic expression, existing systems are largely inaccessible to non-professional older dancers. This paper explores how interactive dance technologies can be designed with an age-sensitive approach to support retired women in enhancing their stage performance. We conducted two workshops with community-based retired women dancers, employing interactive dance and LLM-powered video generation probes in co-design activities. Findings indicate that age-sensitive adaptations, such as low-barrier keyword input, motion-aligned visual effects, and participatory scaffolds, lowered technical barriers and fostered a sense of authorship. These features enabled retired women to empower their stage, transitioning from passive recipients of stage design to empowered co-creators of performance. We outline design implications for incorporating interactive dance and artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) into the cultural practices of retired women, offering broader strategies for age-sensitive creative technologies.