Dance ensemble synchronisation: movement timing between two or more people

Honisch, Juliane Jacqueline (2012). Dance ensemble synchronisation: movement timing between two or more people. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Dancers’ need to be coordinated in an ensemble poses multisensory challenges. The present thesis focuses on temporal aspects of visually mediated interpersonal synchronisation in dance, emphasising feedback control, using an information processing perspective.

The thesis firstly reviews previous literature on psychological factors in the coordination of dance (Chapter 1). Measurement methods and analyses to examine timing of dancers’ interpersonal synchronisation are then introduced(Chapter 2). In the first two experimental chapters (Chapters 3, 4) a lead-follower paradigm is developed to quantify the temporal linkage between two or more individuals. Performer interdependence was estimated using mean, variance and serial correlation measures. Chapter 3 evaluates multimodal (auditory and visual sources) and Chapter 4 unimodal (two visual sources) on individuals’ synchronisation performances. In Chapter 5, dancers’ interpersonal synchronisation and the effect of visual and sensorimotor familiarity were investigated. Findings suggest that more familiar dance poses increase synchronisation accuracy. Chapter 6 examines firstly, the potential role of an internal forward model in visually mediated synchronisation and secondly, the effect of topdown modulation in interpersonal synchronisation. In summary, the paradigm and methods of this thesis provide new ways of exploring dance ensemble synchronisation.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):