Performer Composer

Build, configure, and run powerful AI performers visually in Studio.

A Performer is the main runnable unit in DOT. It combines identity, optional skills, model choice, and tool access into something you can actually use.

On this page you'll learn:

• What a Performer contains
• How to build and configure one in Studio
• How to choose models and Dances
• When to use standalone performer vs. inside an Act

What a Performer Contains#

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│            Performer                 │
│                                      │
│  Tal ──── "Senior BE Engineer"       │
│  Dance ── "PR Review Format"         │
│  Dance ── "Migration Safety"         │
│  Model ── claude-sonnet-4            │
│  Mode ─── Safe                       │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

The Basic Creation Flow#

1. Add a Performer to the canvas
2. Assign a Tal or Dances (or both)
3. Choose a model
4. Pick direct or safe mode
5. Start chatting or use inside an Act

Adding a Tal#

Tal is the performer's identity layer — a Performer has at most one active Tal at a time.

From Asset Library#

Use when you already have an installed or created Tal:

1. Open the Asset Library
2. Find a Tal asset
3. Drag it onto the selected Performer

Create as a Draft#

Use when you want to author inside Studio:

• Experimenting on a project-specific persona
• Refining an imported performer into a local variant
• Drafting before publishing later

Adding Dances#

Dances are the skill layer. You can attach one Dance or many.

Great uses for Dances:

How to add them#

• Drag installed Dances from the Asset Library
• Create or edit local Dance drafts in Studio
• Refine imported configurations into project-local variants

Tip: Think of Dances as layers, not replacements. Each one should have a clear job. This is easier to maintain than one giant mixed instruction file.

Example composition#

Daily Engineering Performer
├── Dance: Code Review Format
├── Dance: Migration Safety Checklist
└── Dance: API Response Convention

Choosing a Model#

Studio lets you choose the model per Performer.

{
  "provider": "anthropic",
  "modelId": "claude-sonnet-4"
}

Matching models to work:

Direct Mode vs Safe Mode#

Every Performer can run in either mode:

Standalone Performer vs Inside an Act#

What a Good Performer Looks Like#

A great Performer is usually:

• Narrow enough to understand
• Reusable across tasks
• Specific about identity
• Selective about Dances
• Explicit about tools

Rule of thumb: Avoid making one Performer do everything. If the role or collaboration pattern changes, that's a sign you want another Performer, another Dance, or an Act.

Common Recipes#

Daily Engineering Performer#

Tal ──── Engineering posture (correctness, tests, observability)
Dance ── PR review format
Dance ── Migration safety
Dance ── Testing standards
Model ── claude-sonnet-4

Security Review Performer#

Tal ──── Strict risk & compliance posture
Dance ── Threat modeling
Dance ── Security report format
Model ── Most capable available
Mode ─── Safe (always)

Writing Performer#

Tal ──── Tone, structure, audience awareness
Dance ── Formatting guidelines
Dance ── Source handling
Model ── Strong language model

From Studio Draft to Published Asset#

Studio is great for composing and iterating, but publication flows through the CLI:

1. Refine configuration in Studio
2. Move result into a proper DOT asset file if needed
3. Publish with dot publish

→ Publishing Assets