Karl Mayr

In 1999, Konami Corp. introduced a Japanese-influenced coin-operated arcade stand-up to the U.S. Its draw was unheard of for a video game: the combination of music, competition, and interactive video-gameplay along with actual physical activity. Four years later, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) has become one of the most popular game crazes stateside and found easily in video game stores and in nationwide retail markets. This story explores the youth culture surrounding the game and follows a group of devoted players and documents their interactions at various arcades and tournaments.

What can you do if you’re as unhappy as the man with white makeup who finds no solace in the streets of the big city? In Simon Spitzer’s music video, dancer Žiga Jereb knows exactly what to do: his performance grows increasingly intense until his legs carry him to a place where he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.