An interactive animation environment. The interactive animation environment includes at least one user-controlled object, and the animation method for providing this environment includes determining a position of the user-controlled object, defining a plurality of regions about the position, detecting a user input to move the position of the user-controlled object, associating the detected user input to move the position of the user-controlled object with a region in the direction of movement, and providing an animation of the user-controlled object associated with the mapped region. A system and controller for implementing the method is also disclosed. A computer program and computer program product for implementing the invention is further disclosed.