00:00In recent years, mental health and neurodiversity topics have come to the forefront
00:04and on Just Dance, we really wanted to contribute by raising awareness on those topics
00:09and provide positive representations of neurodiversity.
00:13So when we came across the song Bang Bang My Neurodivergent anthem by Galantis,
00:17we really saw an opportunity to do it right, and that's how the project started.
00:27What is ADHD?
00:28Well, it's a neurological condition that impacts mostly attention and executive function.
00:59We also have major strengths, like, for example, the capacity of hyperfocus on topics that passionates us.
01:06And we also thrive in chaos, tending to be excellent firefighters.
01:10While our creativity can be unstoppable, with the specificity to really think outside of the box.
01:18Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music.
01:21In fact, music and dance can echo perfectly with ADHD.
01:24When I play Just Dance, it feels like it creates this equilibrium
01:28where my body and my outside surroundings all of a sudden match the same rhythm and speed that my brain is going at.
01:35Regarding the choreography, we try to translate the different state of mind of ADHD in energy and movement.
01:44The speed line represents your thoughts that are racing in your brain, just like you may experience in an ADHD brain.
01:52Ultimately, the racing thoughts line forms the infinity loop sign, which is a symbol of neurodiversity.
02:00For the inattentive part, we call it the dreamer, we made more floaty moves, round, and also a bit slower.
02:08For the hyperactive part, we call it internal chaos.
02:12The movements are faster, and we go to the right, to the left.
02:18We move around just to show how the thoughts go to one idea and another idea.
02:24And we add also the hyper-focused part, where the coach really looks at the camera fixed.
02:32He stays in place in the moment where he only thinks about one thing.
02:37One thing is really concentrated, so we want to show it also with more sharp movement, kind of robotic.
02:45In the last part of the song, the coach takes off the mask, has to say to the world that it's okay to be ADHD.
02:52It kind of resonated with me as almost like a metaphor.
02:57You're a square peg in a round hole, and you're trying so hard to be round.
03:02It's always going to be a struggle, and so to watch the coach take that mask off,
03:07and it feels like embrace their true self was very cool.
03:12You know, coming out with your condition is not easy when ADHD is not recognized positively by society.
03:19That's why making this project was so important to us.
03:23So as a video game and a video game company, we create the culture,
03:28and we have a real impact on how players view the world, themselves and the others.
03:43It makes me feel seen.
03:44Having the opportunity to display positively ADHD in a video game like Just Dance was really appealing for us,
03:51and we hope it will be appealing for many audiences and players.
03:55So as much as some of us as game developers felt represented as neurodivergent,
04:00we hope it will generate a similar feeling among our neurodivergent players,
04:04and beyond, that it will contribute to show a true and positive representation of ADHD.
04:25I wish you happiness.
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