An app created by two recent U of T Scarborough alumni continues to make big moves in the dance world.
StageKeep is an online app that records movement and creates a digital copy that can be shared from user to user that is being used by choreographers in Los Angeles to even major league sports teams here in Toronto.
Most notably, Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment have expressed interest and are working out a deal for the app to be used by the Raptors Dance Pak. It was recently used by a local dance school for a halftime performance at the Toronto Raptors game.
“It was a dream of mine to do something with the NBA and I was too short to do basketball so this should suffice,” jokes the company’s CEO and Founder Axel Villamil (BSc, 2017).
StageKeep is also teaming up with governing dance organizations to develop a program which would provide the app at a heavily reduced price, or in some cases for free. The program would resemble an OSAP style awards system where applicants would fill out a form to show their eligibility for a needs-based scholarship.
“It’s good for us because we get more users but it’s also a way to give back to the community so we can make sure everybody gets their hands on this boundless creativity that it can provide,” said Villamil.
StageKeep officially launched the choreographer portion of the app during the U of T Start-up Showcase on March 1. This portion highlights the main features of the app and will allow choreographers to pre-plan performances, sync their formations to music, visualize transitions and organize their dancers. The collaborative elements of StageKeep will be available in early April when it’s released in full with the dancer portion. At this stage, choreographers will be able to send their routines directly to the dancers and get feedback.
Villamil credits his time at U of T for the dealing with the stress of a start-up company.
“This feels like a final to me,” said Villamil. “After graduating I was like ‘I’m never going to feel these crazy late nights again’. Wrong. Totally felt them in this start-up life.”
The next big project for StageKeep is a feature that incorporates 3D modeling and body scanning, though the developers don’t expect to have that portion ready anytime soon.
Find more information on Entrepreneurship @ U of T Week, head over to their website here.
