Sway: Magic Dance
By Ana Beltran,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun motion filters transform kids into dance pros.
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Sway: Magic Dance
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What’s It About?
SWAY: MAGIC DANCE uses motion filters to transform everyday movement into professional dance moves. Kids can create video clips of themselves or friends re-creating popular dance moves like the "Yummy," "Wild, Wild Whoa," "Flossing," and "Shuffling." Essentially, kids record themselves following a set of prompts in order to create an avatar that they can then assign to dances. They can scroll through the week's collection of dances or choose from ones created by professionals who post their moves on Instagram.
Once the app creates the video, kids can use the editing tools to "remix" it. They can swap out the background, draw directly onto the video, add stickers, text, filters, music, and they'll be able to trim and change the speed. All previously created avatars appear as sticker options to add onto future videos. Even though the original recording is limited to one person, this feature allows kids to create clips that include more than once person dancing. Kids will be able to share their videos to the app's feed or directly to other social media apps, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. They can also save it to their device's album. Kids can scroll through the Discover feed to browse user submissions and even have the option to "remix" those using the editing tools.
Is It Any Good?
Hilariously fun motion filters allow even the most rhythmically challenged to see themselves perform popular dance moves that mirror those of a professional dancer. Sway: Magic Dance is a riot. Get ready to laugh! The app is extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate. The tutorial is helpful, and the checklist provides a quick little reminder of steps to follow for a successful recording. The recording prompts are consistently the same, but also permit for freedom of expression. Kids are prompted to crouch, swivel their head, or do a touchdown dance, and those movements are used by the app to produce incredibly funny dances that could pass for professional choreography. The quality of the videos does depend on the range of movement recorded for the avatar and overall quality of the original recording. In addition to dance moves to popular songs, kids can also use the avatar to make videos of themselves dancing ballet and doing karate moves. Families should be aware that although the app doesn’t have a messaging feature, it does provide a direct link to pro dancers' Instagram accounts, where they'll be able to like and comment freely. Also, there's no way to filter out mature lyrics. The app can run a bit slowly and sometimes freezes or closes on its own. It also limits the number of saved avatars to two. If you want to add additional avatars, previous ones need to be deleted. Although it's slightly inconvenient, this doesn't impact the overall fun experience.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can brainstorm different ways to use the editing tools to make unique videos when using Sway: Magic Dance. Although the motion filters create a predetermined dance, kids can personalize it. They can swap the background to an image from their camera roll. They can change the speed, trim the clip, or add stickers to make the video one of a kind.
Since the app lends itself to social networking and includes links to Instagram, families can discuss expectations and guidelines for engaging with others via social media in a responsible manner.
Talk about song lyrics and dance moves. Are there any songs or lyrics that aren't OK to listen to? Why?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: March 4, 2020
- Category: Entertainment
- Topics: Arts and Dance
- Publisher: Humen, Inc.
- Version: 1.2.10
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 12.0 or later
- Last updated: July 26, 2021
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