Movement synchrony among dance performers predicts brain synchrony among dance spectators

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Dance Studies

Background:

• Performing dance is a social art form involving performers and spectators.
• Group dancing fosters social bonding, but the spectator's experience, especially neural responses, remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how dance expertise influences neural and behavioral responses to watching dance.
• To explore the relationship between movement synchrony, aesthetic appreciation, and brain synchrony in dance spectators.
• To examine the shared aesthetic experience between spectators and choreographers.

Main Methods:

• fMRI scans and continuous enjoyment ratings were collected from dancers and dance novices watching a dance video.
• Inter-subject correlations (ISCs) in brain activity and enjoyment ratings were analyzed.
• Movement synchrony of performers was correlated with spectator brain synchrony.

Main Results:

• Dancers exhibited higher behavioral and neural synchrony compared to novices, with extended brain activation into motor areas.
• Dancers' brain activity and enjoyment ratings were more aligned with the choreographer's, indicating a shared artistic perspective.
• Movement synchrony among performers was the strongest predictor of brain synchrony in spectators.
• Movement acceleration and synchrony primarily drove ISCs in perceptual and motor brain areas, while enjoyment ratings explained ISCs in pre-frontal areas.

Conclusions:

• Aesthetic appreciation of dance involves a shared experience between spectators and choreographers.
• Shared knowledge and practice in dance enhance neural and behavioral synchrony during aesthetic experiences.
• Movement synchrony is a critical aesthetic feature influencing spectator brain responses.