Created for Dance Development Centre’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, this hand-drawn animation was made to capture the joy of reaching their fundraising goal. Built mostly in Procreate Dreams.
Behind the Idea
The animation grew out of DDC’s “High 5 Week” – a social media fundraising event encouraging quick $5 donations to help reach the studio’s goal.
The campaign introduced a vibrant set of hand-drawn, dancing characters, playful typography, and a bold colour palette that immediately resonated with the DDC community. When the fundraiser surpassed $13k, it felt natural to evolve the characters into a celebratory hurray!
Storyboard
Before animating, I mapped out each scene in Procreate, exploring the story I was telling from frame to frame. My goal was to capture the viewer’s curiosity through the opening text sequences, then surprise them with the burst of fanfare and celebration that followed.
The Challenge
The greatest challenge of this piece came when I began sketching out the sequential movements of each dancer. To make the motion believable, every in-between drawing needed to respect the mechanics of dance – weight shifts, timing, and directional energy, – so that the character would arrive naturally into their intended pose, whether leaping, turning or landing.
Visual Development
I explored a series of early sketches to establish the campaign’s character style – playful, expressive figures with a sense of rhythm and movement that would carry naturally into animation.
The final visual style celebrates imperfection, movement and tactility. Each hand-drawn frame maintains visible brush textures, layering and flicker — reflecting the artistry of DDC’s dance centre and its community.
Credits
Client: Dance Development Centre
Creative Direction / Illustration / Animation: Alex Hallahan
Sound Design: Alex Hallahan
Tools: Procreate Dreams, Procreate, Photoshop, After Effects