Place named dancers
Add your roster once. Every dancer has a name, a color, and a height, so nobody has to guess which dot is them.
Dance formation maker
Dance formation maker for teams
Build dance formations online. Place named dancers on a stage, set each formation to your music, and send every dancer their spot. Free to start in your browser. Captains can also build on iPad, and dancers check their spots on iPhone.
- Drag named dancers onto a top-down grid or a 3D stage, right in your browser.
- Line formations up with your music so every transition lands on the right counts.
- Send the current routine to phones so dancers check their exact spot before rehearsal.
Quick answer
What Sway does
Sway is a web, iPhone, and iPad dance formation maker. Captains place named dancers on a desktop stage grid, connect formations to counts and transitions, then publish the routine so every dancer can review their spot on mobile before rehearsal.
What you can do in the formation maker
Switch between grid and 3D
Plan on a top-down grid with width and depth coordinates, then flip to the 3D stage to check sightlines and depth from the audience.
Set formations to your song
Upload the music and lay formations along the timeline. Play it back to watch dancers travel and catch collisions before rehearsal.
Match your real stage
Set the stage width and depth so spacing on screen matches the floor you will actually perform on.
Send spots to every phone
Publish the routine and each dancer opens it in the Sway app to find their spot in every formation.
Edit with your co-captains
Captains work in the same team workspace, so there is one current version instead of five screenshots in a group chat.
What the free dance formation maker includes
You need a free account so your roster and formations save to your team. Plus and Pro raise these limits and bill once per team, not per dancer.
Team size
Up to 15 team members and 2 captains.
Routines
3 segments in 1 project, each with as many formations as the section needs.
Music
Audio files up to 3 minutes, synced to the formation timeline.
Devices
Build in a desktop browser or on iPad. Dancers review on iPhone.
Formation maker, generator, position maker, or blocking tool
Choreographers search for this under a lot of names. They all mean the same work: deciding where each performer stands, and when they move.
Dance formation generator
Plus and Pro include templates and AI templates for lines, V shapes, circles, and diagonals. Start from one, then adjust the spacing for your roster.
Dance position maker
Every dancer gets width and depth coordinates, so a note like "two left of center" becomes an exact spot on the grid.
Theater blocking
Blocking is the theater word for the same thing. Place named actors for each scene and share the plan with the cast.
Cheer and drill formations
Cheer squads, color guard, and marching bands use the same workflow. The cheer formation maker page covers squad-specific patterns.
How to make a dance formation in Sway
- Create a free team and add your dancers by name.
- Upload your song and set your stage size.
- Drag dancers into the first formation on the grid or the 3D stage.
- Add the next formation on the timeline and play back the transition.
- Publish the routine so every dancer sees their spot on their phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sway dance formation maker free?
Yes. The Free plan lets you build formations for a team of up to 15 members with 2 captains, 3 segments in 1 project, and songs up to 3 minutes. You need a free account so your roster and formations save to your team. Paid plans add more segments and projects, unlimited audio length, and AI templates, and they bill per team, not per dancer.
Do I need to download an app to make formations?
No. You can build formations in a desktop web browser. Captains can also create and edit on iPad, and dancers use the Sway iPhone app to check their spots.
Can I add music and time formations to counts?
Yes. Upload the song, then place each formation on the music timeline so it starts and ends at the right moment. Play the routine back to watch dancers travel between formations. Free supports audio files up to 3 minutes; Plus and Pro remove the length limit.
Can I see my formations in 3D?
Yes. Switch the stage between a top-down grid and a 3D view to check sightlines, depth, and how the formation reads from the audience. Each dancer can have a height, which helps when you check who is hidden behind whom.
How many dancers can I plan for?
Free covers a team of up to 15 members and Plus up to 30. Pro has no dancer limit, which suits large studios, cheer squads, and marching bands.
Does Sway work on Android?
There is no Android app yet. Sway has native apps for iPhone and iPad, and anyone can build formations in a desktop web browser.
Can Sway generate formations for me?
Yes, as a starting point. Plus and Pro include templates and AI templates for lines, V shapes, circles, diagonals, and more. Pick one, then adjust the spacing for your dancers. The Free plan starts from a blank stage.
What makes Sway different from a drawing tool?
A drawing is one picture. In Sway each dancer is a named person who carries through every formation, so the transitions, the music timing, and the view each dancer sees on their phone all come from one plan.
Who is this dance formation maker for?
Dance captains, choreographers, studio owners, coaches, and directors. The same workflow fits K-pop cover groups, cheer squads, color guard, marching band drill, and theater blocking.
Can dancers review formations on mobile?
Yes. After a captain publishes the routine, dancers can open Sway on their phones to review positions, transitions, and notes without waiting for new screenshots.