Dance as mindful movement: a perspective from motor learning and predictive coding

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Dance Studies
• Human Movement Science

Background:

• Defining dance broadly is challenging due to diverse expressive movement forms.
• Existing definitions often focus on rhythmic movement, excluding other expressive arts.
• A more inclusive, empirically verifiable definition is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a new, inclusive definition of dance based on conscious awareness.
• To characterize "mindful movement" using predictive coding and procedural learning theories.
• To explore implications for animal behavior and experimental research.

Main Methods:

• Conceptualizing dance as "mindful movement."
• Proposing a characterization of mindful movement via "suspension" of automatization.
• Linking mindful movement to predictive coding and procedural learning theories.

Main Results:

• Mindful movement involves suspending the natural process of motor skill automatization.
• This suspension reactivates unconscious movement details into conscious awareness.
• It enables renewed aesthetic attention to the nuances of movement.

Conclusions:

• "Mindful movement" offers a testable, inclusive definition of dance.
• This perspective has implications for understanding animal expressive behaviors.
• It opens new avenues for experimental research into human and animal movement.