justdance

Pictograms are a type of symbol in the franchise, and are featured in every Just Dance game. They are basic, "stick figure" like images that show players how to execute the next move and come in a wide variety of colors.

History

Main series

Just Dance

In the original game, the pictograms were not very well detailed. They run quickly on an invisible line and disappear quickly on an intermittent triangle. Under them is a small white upside-down triangle. The arrows that sometimes appear with them are very narrow and monocolor. They had a 2D aspect.

Pictograms for Shake Moves have a colored cloud and various shaded shapes, resembling the arms that are shaking.

This is the only time numbers appear before the song's pictograms appear on screen.

Just Dance 2

In the second game, the pictograms received major improvements, but are still not very detailed, and they still disappear quickly on the triangle. They're now based on a 3D model and no longer hand-drawn, a change which carries on into all the subsequent main series games, albeit with a few minor changes. The arrows are wider and of different colors. In Duets, they slide on different sides (from the left for P1 and from the right for P2). Some pictograms now have a circle symbol to represent the glove and avoid confusion between the two hands (mostly when they are crossing). A few songs have a symbol to indicate clapping, or a sudden hand movement such as striking the air, and very rarely have short curved lines to indicate shaking. These symbols are used more frequently in later games, including this game’s DLC.

Gold Moves, which make their first appearance in this game, are fully golden with a gold outline.

Just Dance 3

In the third game, the pictograms did not receive very big changes. In most songs, they had a thinner torso, longer legs, and a smaller head. Additionally, the triangle was rounded instead of pointed. On Xbox, they fade when they reach the triangle, but on Wii and PS3, they enlarge a bit and fade out. In Duets, both pictograms come from the right, while in Dance Crews they slide at a faster rate because the triangle is in the middle of the screen. From this game on, the Gold Move pictograms for multiplayer routines are not golden; instead, they keep their normal colors, and have a golden outline. Also, there are now dark shadows under the pictograms whenever the dancer(s) jump(s).

Just Dance 4

In the fourth game, the pictograms were a bit wider with a slightly bigger head and the triangle was replaced by a white line with an intermittent rectangle; when they reach the rectangle, they fade out while enlarging. Also, the end of the line is not in the middle anymore for Dance Crews. The arrows became thicker, the double headed arrows have been removed, and the jump shadows were updated; they are not as dark as in Just Dance 3.

Just Dance 2014

In the fifth game, the pictograms seemed to be smaller and improved. Also, the rectangle is placed more to the left for Duets, Trios, and Dance Crews. This feature would be present in every later main game. On the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, the pictograms move slightly upwards when they fade.

Just Dance 2015

In the sixth game, the body of the pictograms was slightly wider than the former two games, and when they fade, they move upwards on all consoles.

Just Dance 2016

In the seventh game, the head of most pictograms had a bolder outline, in contrast with the body, which didn’t seem to have any. On 8th-gen consoles, when pictograms reach the end of the pictogram slide, they enlarge quickly before slowing down.

Just Dance 2017

In the eighth game, the pictograms had a thinner head outline than the former game, and the body’s white outline is much more noticeable. The color gradients on the body also seemed to be smoother.

Just Dance 2018

In the ninth game, the pictogram slide has a different beat effect with no particles, and the pictograms pulse to the beat and have a little shadow behind them. These effects only appear on 8th-gen consoles and the Switch. In addition, the forwards and backgrounds arrows have been redesigned. Also, most of the Gold Move pictograms for Duets, Trios, and Dance Crews have thicker and darker outlines. When pictograms reach the end of the pictogram slide, they do not enlarge as much as previous games.

Just Dance 2019

In the tenth game, the pictograms are similar to Just Dance 2018 pictograms, along with the pictogram slide, but now most of the solo Gold Move pictograms have thicker and darker outlines. This still goes for Duets, Trios, and Dance Crews, just like in Just Dance 2018.

Just Dance 2020

In the eleventh game, the pictogram slide has been completely replaced. It is now a bar with rounded edges and a small triangle at the top. The bar pulses instead of flashing. The pictogram bar is the same color as the lyrics. The pictograms have a slightly more visible pulse. The solo Gold Move pictograms are slightly the same as Just Dance 2018. In addition, most props are now gray.

Just Dance 2021

In the twelfth game, the bar is the same as Just Dance 2020 but with no gradients, the pictograms are slightly less detailed than Just Dance 2020.

Just Dance 2022

In the thirteenth game, the bar is the same as Just Dance 2021. The pictograms are slightly more detailed than Just Dance 2021. Certain parts of 3D arrows are fully replaced with a darker shade instead of a gradient. Additionally, some wave pictograms depict most of the coaches in their current position, except for one that is depicting the motion that will be performed. This usually happens if all of the coaches will be performing the same motion.

Just Dance 2023 Edition-present

Since Just Dance 2023 Edition, the pictogram bar is remodeled to lack a central arrow and is now white. The pictograms are slightly bigger and are slightly less detailed than Just Dance 2022. The pictograms also no longer pulse to the beat of the song and fade slightly slower when they reach the end of the pictogram bar.

Since the 1.0.4 update, the pictogram bar has a slightly different beat animation.

Walking on Sunshine on Just Dance 2023 Edition became the first and so far only routine in the main series to not use pictograms. In this routine, the dancer is a large animated pictogram and random images appear in place of normal pictograms.

Japanese and Chinese series

Just Dance Wii

Just Dance Wii pictograms are based off Just Dance 2 pictograms.

Just Dance Wii 2

Just Dance Wii 2 pictograms are based off Just Dance 4 pictograms.

Just Dance Wii U

Just Dance Wii U pictograms are based off Just Dance 2014 pictograms.

舞力全开2015

Most of the pictograms in 舞力全开2015 are based off Just Dance 2016 pictograms (except for Dancing Diva, which has Just Dance 2015-styled pictograms).

Yo-kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version

Yo-kai Watch Dance pictograms are based off of Just Dance 2016 pictograms.

舞力全开:活力派

舞力全开:活力派’s pictograms are based off Just Dance 2017 pictograms, except the color gradients are more pixelated.

舞力全开2017

舞力全开2017’s pictograms are based off Just Dance 2018 pictograms, as seen in the Gold Move 3 pictogram of Tui Zhi Ge. The routines from the main series use their initial pictograms.

舞力全开

舞力全开's pictograms are based off Just Dance 2019 pictograms.

舞力全开:派对

舞力全开:派对's pictograms are GIF files. They usually appear every eight beats, show the next four beats of the routine, and use a 3D pictogram model with a rainbow gradient that goes from dark blue at the head to yellow at the hands and orange at the feet.

Kids series

Just Dance Kids

In this game, pictograms are mostly orange with a white orb on the right hand, and a slight 3D effect. They slide towards a triangle, like in the first games of the series; this feature is brought in all other games of the Kids series.

Just Dance Kids 2

Here, pictograms are either blue with a light blue glow or orange with a pink glow. The blue pictograms have an orange bracelet on the right hand, and the orange pictograms have a blue bracelet. They look shorter and with a bigger head.

Just Dance: Disney Party

In this game, the pictograms are like blue Just Dance Kids 2 pictograms, but they are closer and disappear when they reach the triangle.

Just Dance Kids 2014

In this game, pictograms have thicker limbs and a 2D aspect, and their body fade from light blue to teal downwards. The props look different as well, and Duet pictograms slide from different sides.

Just Dance: Disney Party 2

Just Dance: Disney Party 2 pictograms are based off Just Dance 4 pictograms, but with more props. Additionally, they are all purple with white arrows and prop. They have a thin black outline as well. Gold move pictograms are indicated a glowing star behind them, and duet pictograms come from different directions, like in Just Dance 2.

Other spin-offs

ABBA: You Can Dance/Michael Jackson: The Experience

In both games, the pictograms are contained into a white circle. They appear as black 2D stylized bodies, with the right arm colored pink in ABBA: You Can Dance and blue in Michael Jackson: The Experience. They slide bottom up, and they disappear with a fading effect.

Michael Jackson: The Experience (Xbox 360)

They are all black and they are in a man shape. They appear on the right of the dancer(s). They are in a gray box. Each box contains one or two pictograms.

Dance on Broadway (Wii)

They look similar to the pictograms in Just Dance, but they're smaller. Pictograms that represent multiple coaches are black while ones that represent a single coach are colored. They slide from different sides, like in Just Dance 2 duets.

Dance on Broadway (PS3)

They are in a boy shape. They are all gray with black arrows. The slide is similar to Michael Jackson: The Experience (Wii/PS3) and ABBA: You Can Dance.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Wii)

All pictograms are orange with a yellow glove on the right hand. Arrows and emblems are blue. Their arms are not connected to their body.

The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Xbox)

In this game, pictograms are GIF files. They are a white shape, showing the moves over the camera square.

The Hip Hop Dance Experience

In this game, pictograms are GIF files. They are a dark blue boy shape, showing the moves under the camera square.

The Smurfs Dance Party

They are all orange with light blue arrows, and they're very small. They have a thick white outline, and they disappear immediately on a motionless white triangle.

Trivia

General

Just Dance 2

Just Dance 3

Just Dance 2014

Just Dance Now

Just Dance Wii

The Black Eyed Peas Experience (Wii)

Dance on Broadway

Gallery

Standard pictograms

Main series (Solo)

Main series (Duets)

Main series (Trios)

Main series (Dance Crews/Quartets)

Japanese and Chinese series (Solos)

Japanese and Chinese series (Duets)

Japanese and Chinese series (Quartets)

Kids/Disney series

Other spin-offs

Shake/Gold Moves

For a comprehensive gallery of Gold Move pictograms, visit Gold Move.

Unusual Props

Others

References

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