It’s not chess, but “It’s Your Move,” as least for GroundWorks DanceTheater, a Knight Arts grantee.

“Imagination you can see.” That’s GroundWorks DanceTheater’s motto on its website – and it’s taking on a whole new meaning through its latest project.

In response to a challenge from community and arts funding leaders, GroundWorks DanceTheater is developing an online site where area people can submit their favorite (or newly-made up) moves. The dance troupe is encouraging people to create a special move, capture themselves doing it on video and submit it to the organization for display on its site and via YouTube.com.

As artistic director David Shimotakahara has noted, “You don’t have to be a dancer to enjoy moving. Movement is a part of life and what we do everyday.”

GroundWorks DanceTheater. Photo by Dale Dong

If you go to the GroundWorks website – at groundworksdance.org/its-your-move – you can see some previews made by company members, and others, that will give you the main idea. (I had fun tapping successively through the nine videos on display, which repeat another idea in the program – that is, you can move in response to what you see, react to it, or invent your own quick, probably fun, and simple move to submit to GroundWorks. Piling up the moves and responses made for its own kind of song and dance.)

Send your move via email to: [email protected].

What happens then? Lots. As Shimotakahara has announced, the company will broadcast a “move of the week” via email, on its Facebook page,  and its new website. The best moves submitted will be featured on GroundWork’s website gallery, and you can check out all the moves on the It’s Your Move YouTube channel. (If searching on YouTube.com, it’s best to search “It’s Your Move GroundWorks,” since there are other entries including movie titles.)

This sounds like a great idea. Some people will get their 15 minutes of fame, while everyone will plain old have fun participating and viewing.

“We’re not looking for complete dances or involved movement compositions,” says GroundWorks Artistic Director David Shimotakahara. “We want people to do something simple and spontaneous. From a guy painting his house to a girl waiting for a bus, the invitation is rife with possibilities.”

GroundWorks plans to introduce It’s Your Move project at events and neighborhoods throughout the region to create new opportunities for collaboration. “We hope this builds greater awareness of our organization, and it gives people a chance to participate with us when and where they choose,” Shimotakahara says.