All DOM update and layout algorithms are O(N) complex (at best). So as less DOM elements you have as more responsive your UI is.

As an ultimate solution - to remove DOM at all and replace it by <canvas>. Minimization of updates is developer's business in this case. Presumably he/she will be able to do it better other than to walk through all DOM elements while handling, say this:

   html:hover span { color:red; }