Neuroaesthetics and beyond: new horizons in applying the science of the brain to the art of dance

Cross, E. S. and Ticini, L. F. (2012) Neuroaesthetics and beyond: new horizons in applying the science of the brain to the art of dance. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, 11(1), pp. 5-16. (doi: 10.1007/s11097-010-9190-y)

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Abstract

Throughout history, dance has maintained a critical presence across all human cultures, defying barriers of class, race, and status. How dance has synergistically co-evolved with humans has fueled a rich debate on the function of art and the essence of aesthetic experience, engaging numerous artists, historians, philosophers, and scientists. While dance shares many features with other art forms, one attribute unique to dance is that it is most commonly expressed with the human body. Because of this, social scientists and neuroscientists are turning to dance and dancers to help answer questions of how the brain coordinates the body to perform complex, precise, and beautiful movements. In the present paper, we discuss how recent advances in neuroscientific methods provide the tools to advance our understanding of not only the cerebral phenomena associated with dance learning and observation but also the neural underpinnings of aesthetic appreciation associated with watching dance. We suggest that future work within the fields of dance neuroscience and neuroaesthetics have the potential to provide mutual benefits to both the scientific and artistic communities.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Cross, Professor Emily
Authors: Cross, E. S., and Ticini, L. F.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Journal Name:Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:1568-7759
ISSN (Online):1572-8676
Published Online:05 January 2011
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2011 The Authors
First Published:First published in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 11(1):5-16
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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