Social decision-making driven by artistic explore-exploit tension

We studied social decision-making in the rule-based improvisational dance $There$ $Might$ $Be$ $Others$, where dancers make in-the-moment compositional choices. Rehearsals provided a natural test-bed with communication restricted to non-verbal cues. We observed a key artistic explore-exploit tension in which the dancers switched between exploitation of existing artistic opportunities and riskier exploration of new ones. We investigated how the rules influenced the dynamics using rehearsals together with a model generalized from evolutionary dynamics. We tuned the rules to heighten the tension and modeled nonlinear fitness and feedback dynamics for mutation rate to capture the observed temporal phasing of the dancers' exploration-versus-exploitation. Using bifurcation analysis, we identified key controls of the tension and showed how they could shape the decision-making dynamics of the model much like turning a "dial" in the instructions to the dancers could shape the dance. The investigation became an integral part of the development of the dance

Thinking strategically about dance making : an analysis of the structuring stage and the strategies choreographers use for varying dance works

This empirical study investigates how expert choreographers structure their dance pieces and vary their dance designs. Specifically, the methods choreographers apply for selecting, ordering, and refining movement material into a coherent whole were explored. Accordingly, the structuring process of two expert contemporary choreographers was isolated and examined separately from other stages of dance development. We have used observations, interviews and questionnaires to understand the choreographers’ actions and thoughts as they worked on creating three dance pieces. In addition, a model from the field of design (Yilmaz et al 2011) was utilised as the main framework for analysing the quantitative and qualitative data that was extracted. We found that choreographers transform their composition through the application of multiple strategies and particularly, ‘Local’ strategies. Still, each choreographer relies on a particular set of strategies based on the problems they identify in each process and their own personal preferences. Notably, real innovation was enabled through the application of ‘Process Strategies’. These techniques guided the choreographers’ overall approach through the solution space by forcing changes in a particular direction. As a result, new dance forms were discovered

Hidden Narratives:Dancers’ Conceptualisations of Noncharacter Roles in Leotard Ballets by George Balanchine and William Forsythe

The study of dancers' relationships with their noncharacter solo roles in leotard ballets by George Balanchine and William Forsythe reveals a dynamic cluster of flexible and multifaceted conceptualisations. Performers' process includes a range of abstract images, nonfictional and docufictional ideas, metaphoric allusions and storyboarding constructions. Drawing upon Michael Kirby's concept of non-matrixed performing (1987), as well as on ideas from dance aesthetics, narratology, theatre and film theories, noncharacter roles are understood as partly flexible, diverse performing frameworks that contain ambiguity but do not promote characterisation. The findings suggest that the dissolution of character traits in plotless choreography often serves as a catalyst for the performers' polyvalent expressions of their artistic identities, value systems and agency. Observation of performances, in conjunction with direct interviews with expert dancers from several international ballet companies, brings to light the links between the performer's ideas and the effects observable in the dance. Attention to the performers' approaches and aspects of the work which they wish to emphasise reveals less observed aspects of dance texts and illuminates the nature of the ballet dancer's qualitative contribution in non-narrative choreography. </jats:p

Expertise in evaluating choreographic creativity: an online adaptation of the Consensual Assessment Technique

In contemporary dance, experts evaluate creativity in competitions, auditions, and performances, typically through ratings of choreography or improvisation. Audiences also implicitly evaluate choreographic creativity, so dancers' livelihoods also hinge upon the opinions of non-expert observers. However, some argue that the abstract and often pedestrian nature of contemporary dance confuses non-expert audiences. Therefore, agreement regarding creativity and appreciation amongst experts and non-experts may be low. Finding appropriate methodologies for reliable and real-world creativity evaluation remains the subject of considerable debate within the psychology creativity research field. Although considerably variant in methodological operationalisation, the Consensual Assessment Technique (CAT) asks individuals to use an implicit definition to assess creativity in others' work. This study aimed to investigate the role of experience and expertise in the evaluation of Contemporary Dance, with a secondary aim of testing the feasibility of an online snowballing methodology for large-scale dance-specific research, informed by the methodology of the CAT. We filmed 23 Contemporary Dance students each performing a 3-minute solo choreography and then recruited 850 online evaluators with varying degrees of expertise and experience in dance and creativity. Evaluators viewed at least one randomly selected video and rated creativity, technical ability, appreciation and understanding of the work, each using a seven-point Likert scale. A one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in creativity ratings across the 23 videos, and creativity correlated significantly with the other variables. We then categorised evaluators on nine aspects of their dance and creative experience and entered the data into a repeated-measures linear mixed model. Two of the fixed effects yielded differences in creativity evaluations: (i) contemporary choreographic experience and (ii) self-reported creative expertise, as did the random effect of the video. The results indicate that personal experience of the choreographic process impacts creativity assessment, above and beyond experience in dance class participation. Implications for creativity assessment within creativity research and practice are discussed

My Action, My Self: Recognition of Self-Created but Visually Unfamiliar Dance-Like Actions From Point-Light Displays

Bläsing B, Sauzet O. My Action, My Self: Recognition of Self-Created but Visually Unfamiliar Dance-Like Actions From Point-Light Displays. Frontiers in Psychology. 2018;9: 1909.Previous research has shown that motor experience of an action can facilitate the visual recognition of that action, even in the absence of visual experience. We conducted an experiment in which participants were presented point-light displays of dance-like actions that had been recorded with the same group of participants during a previous session. The stimuli had been produced with the participant in such a way that each participant experienced a subset of phrases only as observer, learnt two phrases from observation, and created one phrase while blindfolded. The clips presented in the recognition task showed movements that were either unfamiliar, only visually familiar, familiar from observational learning and execution, or self-created while blind-folded (and hence not visually familiar). Participants assigned all types of movements correctly to the respective categories, showing that all three ways of experiencing the movement (observed, learnt through observation and practice, and created blindfolded) resulted in an encoding that was adequate for recognition. Observed movements showed the lowest level of recognition accuracy, whereas the accuracy of assigning blindfolded self-created movements was on the same level as for unfamiliar and learnt movements. Self-recognition was modulated by action recognition, as participants were more likely to identify themselves as the actor in clips they had assigned to the category “created” than in clips they had assigned to the category “learnt,” supporting the idea of an influence of agency on self-recognition

My Action, My Self: Recognition of Self-Created but Visually Unfamiliar Dance-Like Actions From Point-Light Displays

Previous research has shown that motor experience of an action can facilitate the visual recognition of that action, even in the absence of visual experience. We conducted an experiment in which participants were presented point-light displays of dance-like actions that had been recorded with the same group of participants during a previous session. The stimuli had been produced with the participant in such a way that each participant experienced a subset of phrases only as observer, learnt two phrases from observation, and created one phrase while blindfolded. The clips presented in the recognition task showed movements that were either unfamiliar, only visually familiar, familiar from observational learning and execution, or self-created while blind-folded (and hence not visually familiar). Participants assigned all types of movements correctly to the respective categories, showing that all three ways of experiencing the movement (observed, learnt through observation and practice, and created blindfolded) resulted in an encoding that was adequate for recognition. Observed movements showed the lowest level of recognition accuracy, whereas the accuracy of assigning blindfolded self-created movements was on the same level as for unfamiliar and learnt movements. Self-recognition was modulated by action recognition, as participants were more likely to identify themselves as the actor in clips they had assigned to the category “created” than in clips they had assigned to the category “learnt,” supporting the idea of an influence of agency on self-recognition

Knowing dance or knowing how to dance? Sources of expertise in aesthetic appreciation of human movement.

The study of human movement and action has become a topic of increasing relevance over the last decade, bringing dance into the focus of the cognitive sciences. The Neurocognition of Dance brings together contributors from the worlds of psychology and dance, and discusses the relationship between dance and perception. Fully updated throughout, this edition introduces scientific perspectives on human movement, before dance professionals considering how their creative work relates to cognition and learning. Finally, researchers with personal links to the dance world demonstrate how neurocognitive methods are applied to studying different aspects related to dance

Un estudio experimental sobre la influencia de la música en la coreografía: movimiento y espacio

[ES] En este estudio experimental investigamos la relación entre música y danza a partir de cuatro fragmentos musicales compuestos por Pep Llopis para espectáculos de danza. Participan dos coreógrafos profesionales ajenos a los espectáculos en cuestión y sin información sobre el origen o la intención de los fragmentos musicales. Los coreógrafos trabajan de manera aislada y sin compartir información. Primero, cada coreógrafo hace una escucha previa de cada fragmento, y verbaliza las evocaciones sugeridas (imágenes, sensaciones, etc.) y los movimientos y desplazamientos visualizados. Se le encarga concebir una coreografía improvisada que, en una sesión posterior, se graba en vídeo. Se procede a un análisis cualitativo detallado sobre el vídeo, con la ayuda de una segunda entrevista a los coreógrafos. Se realiza un análisis cuantitativo del espacio y de los elementos técnicos: espacio ocupado, direcciones y mirada, tipos de desplazamientos/dinámicas, recorridos/trayectorias, alturas/niveles, peso, ritmo y energía corporal. Los resultados muestran una influencia estadísticamente muy significativa de la música en los elementos coreográficos (altura, peso, forma corporal, ocupación espacial, recorridos, pasos) independientemente de las evocaciones internas de cada coreógrafo. También destaca una influencia en la posición/dirección respecto al público y dirección de la mirada.Meschini, F.; Payri, B. (2016). Un estudio experimental sobre la influencia de la música en la coreografía: movimiento y espacio. Epistemus. 4(1):13-52. https://doi.org/10.21932/epistemus.4.3027.1S13524