Scientist - performers - audiences. Different modes of meaning-making

This paper provides a brief overview of the emergence of dance in the field of cognitive neuroscience and sustains the importance to understand-ing how dance is conceptualised in other disciplines in order to design valuable future research employing dance. It is proposed that recognising the distinct modes of meaning-making will undoubtedly affect and advance the scientific progress understanding by modes of meaning-making the phenomenological difference in how a dancer relates to a movement phrase from how a scientist or a choreographer watches, interprets, and experiences a dance phrase. The overall message is that the different modes of meaning-making requires consideration in scientific studies where a new generation of artists-scientists is needed, driven to excel in both, data handling and artistic purposes.//Abstract in Spanish:Este artículo proporciona una breve descripción de la aparición de la danza en el campo de la neurociencia cognitiva y sostiene que es importante entender cómo se conceptualiza la danza en otras disciplinas para diseñar in-vestigaciones futuras que la empleen. Se propone que reconocer los distintos modos de creación de significado afectará y avanzará el progreso científico entendiendo por modos de creación de significado la diferencia fenomenológica en la forma en que un bailarín se relaciona con una frase de movimiento de cómo lo hace un científico o un coreógrafo. El mensaje general es que los dif-erentes modos de creación de significado requieren consideración en estudios científicos donde son necesarios una nueva generación de artistas-científicos, impulsados a sobresalir tanto en el manejo de datos como en los propósitos artísticos

The dancing queen:explanatory mechanisms of the 'feel-good effect' in dance

Dance is a social, creative form of human activity impacting on wellbeing through emotional involvement in active or passive participation at all levels of mastery. Dance as a physical activity can potentially improve health physiologically, psychologically, and socially. Despite a recent surge in dance-related research, the authors believe that this area of human behaviour is still relatively unexplored. Here, therefore, they examine possible mechanisms that may contribute to the ‘feel-good effect’ of dance participation by emphasizing its positive as well as its potentially detrimental effects, taking the physical activity literature as a starting point. They address biochemical, brain neurotransmitters, cognitive–neuroscientific, and psychological mechanisms that are thought to explain the impact of physical activity in wellbeing, and discuss functional and structural brain changes that are linked to participation in dance. They conclude by highlighting the need to increase research to better recognize the potential risks and benefits of dance in improving health and wellbeing

Spectators’ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in dance performance

In this paper we present a study of spectators’ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in live dance performance. A multidisciplinary team comprising a choreographer, neuroscientists and qualitative researchers investigated the effects of different sound scores on dance spectators. What would be the impact of auditory stimulation on kinesthetic experience and/or aesthetic appreciation of the dance? What would be the effect of removing music altogether, so that spectators watched dance while hearing only the performers’ breathing and footfalls? We investigated audience experience through qualitative research, using post-performance focus groups, while a separately conducted functional brain imaging (fMRI) study measured the synchrony in brain activity across spectators when they watched dance with sound or breathing only. When audiences watched dance accompanied by music the fMRI data revealed evidence of greater intersubject synchronisation in a brain region consistent with complex auditory processing. The audience research found that some spectators derived pleasure from finding convergences between two complex stimuli (dance and music). The removal of music and the resulting audibility of the performers’ breathing had a significant impact on spectators’ aesthetic experience. The fMRI analysis showed increased synchronisation among observers, suggesting greater influence of the body when interpreting the dance stimuli. The audience research found evidence of similar corporeally focused experience. The paper discusses possible connections between the findings of our different approaches, and considers the implications of this study for interdisciplinary research collaborations between arts and sciences

Quantifying dance in the audience's mind:a methodological quest for neuroscience research

Audience research in the domain of neuroscience has advanced our understanding of how spectators process what they see on stage. The focus of this kind of research is primarily on the functioning of the human brain and behaviour, irrespective of spectators’ lived experience. The widely used theoretical underpinning is the mirror neuron network, which manifests itself through a correspondence between the neuronal activities of a passively watching audience member with that of the performer, as if the spectator was internally mirroring the actions seen on stage. It thus links to ideas of a shared sensorimotor experience between spectator and performer, which has a long tradition in the performing arts discourse in terms of audiences’ kinaesthetic experience. Research showed that this experience is dependent on personal preferences, expertise and personality. One could thus argue that what is of particular interest is the spectacle that takes place in the audience’s mind. Accordingly, the cultural, formal and qualitative aspects of a performance constitute an important methodological factor. This chapter provides an overview of the conditions of scientific technologies employed and explains how these contradict principles of creative and cultural practices of the performing arts, which has led to shifts in methodological discussions.</p

Neuronal bases of structural coherence in contemporary dance observation

The neuronal processes underlying dance observation have been the focus of an increasing number of brain imaging studies over the past decade. However, the existing literature mainly dealt with effects of motor and visual expertise, whereas the neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie the interpretation of dance choreographies remained unexplored. Hence, much attention has been given to the Action Observation Network (AON) whereas the role of other potentially relevant neuro-cognitive mechanisms such as mentalizing (theory of mind) or language (narrative comprehension) in dance understanding is yet to be elucidated. We report the results of an fMRI study where the structural coherence of short contemporary dance choreographies was manipulated parametrically using the same taped movement material. Our participants were all trained dancers. The whole-brain analysis argues that the interpretation of structurally coherent dance phrases involves a subpart (Superior Parietal) of the AON as well as mentalizing regions in the dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex. An ROI analysis based on a similar study using linguistic materials (Pallier et al. 2011) suggests that structural processing in language and dance might share certain neural mechanisms

Auditioning for empathy:dance, acting, and psychology students

<br/

“Some like it hot”:spectators who score high on the personality trait openness enjoy the excitement of hearing dancers breathing without music

Music is an integral part of dance. Over the last 10 years, however, dance stimuli (without music) have been repeatedly used to study action observation processes, increasing our understanding of the influence of observer’s physical abilities on action perception. Moreover, beyond trained skills and empathy traits, very little has been investigated on how other observer or spectators’ properties modulate action observation and action preference. Since strong correlations have been shown between music and personality traits, here we aim to investigate how personality traits shape the appreciation of dance when this is presented with three different music/sounds. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between personality traits and the subjective esthetic experience of 52 spectators watching a 24 min lasting contemporary dance performance projected on a big screen containing three movement phrases performed to three different sound scores: classical music (i.e., Bach), an electronic sound-score, and a section without music but where the breathing of the performers was audible. We found that first, spectators rated the experience of watching dance without music significantly different from with music. Second, we found that the higher spectators scored on the Big Five personality factor openness, the more they liked the no-music section. Third, spectators’ physical experience with dance was not linked to their appreciation but was significantly related to high average extravert scores. For the first time, we showed that spectators’ reported entrainment to watching dance movements without music is strongly related to their personality and thus may need to be considered when using dance as a means to investigate action observation processes and esthetic preferences

“I’m never going to be in phantom of the opera”:relational and emotional wellbeing of Parkinson’s carers and their partners in and beyond dancing

The caregiving of people who suffer from Parkinson’s predominantly falls on their life partners. Living with and caring for somebody with Parkinson’s can cause a range of emotional, psychological, and financial pressures. Whilst an increasing number of alternative treatments for Parkinson’s is available, such as dancing, the focus is predominantly on the motor and emotional improvements of the person suffering from Parkinson’s. For caregivers, however, dancing can be a double-edged sword: Although dancing can offer an opportunity to enjoy a social event with their partner; attending dance classes puts additional responsibilities on the carer. The present study thus aimed at exploring the experiences of participants with Parkinson’s who attended dance classes as well as the experiences of their care-partners in and around these classes along with their view on everyday life changes experienced since dancing. Six couples were interviewed individually where one partner had Parkinson’s. The interviews were also analyzed separately using inductive thematic analysis. In line with existing programmes that offer dance for people with Parkinson’s, the classes used a mixture of ballroom, ballet, contemporary, and creative dance styles; supported and influenced by an instructors’ extensive knowledge of the abilities and needs of those with Parkinson’s. A recurring challenge for Parkinson’s sufferers relates to “who is in control?” based on the many unknown changes of Parkinson’s; as well as seeing/being seen. Yet frustrations were oftentimes counteracted with humour. Also, when dancing, participants with Parkinson’s reported enjoying playful interactions. Caregivers’ themes focussed on theirs and their partners’ wellbeing regarding social contacts and openness, as well as issues surrounding their responsibilities as carers. Whilst some identified dance movements that help them in everyday tasks, they and their care-partners question the impact of dance on their motor control. Yet, participants unanimously agree that dance provides relevant opportunities for social contact and comparison. Nevertheless, the care-partners’ concerns remain about the burden of increasing responsibility for the wellbeing of both partners but they also reported enjoying dancing with their partner. Experiencing their loved ones as more cheerful after starting dance classes is recognised an important positive and impactful outcome of dancing together