In this paper, we present an interactive motion deformation method to modify animations so that they satisfy a set of prioritized constraints. Our approach successfully handles the problem of retargeting and adjusting a motion, as well as adding significant changes to preexisting animations. We introduce the concept of prioritized constraints for motion editing by exploiting an arbitrary large number of priority-layers. Each frame is individually and smoothly adjusted to enforce a set of prioritized constraints. The iterative construction of the solution channels the convergence through intermediate solutions, enforcing the highest prioritized constraints first. In addition, we propose a new, simple formulation to control the position of the center of mass so that the resulting motions are physically plausible. Finally, we demonstrate that our method can address a wide range of motion editing problems. [All rights reserved Elsevier]