Name 1
Student Name
Mrs. Livaudais
H. English III, Block 1
24 September 2013
Choreographing the Science of Psychology
“Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion” (Graham). This popular quote from Martha Graham not only gives color to the beauty in the movement that the audience perceives, but also a glimpse into the behind the scenes of a dancer’s life. How dancers devote themselves to their passion is derived from a much deeper level than many people believe. Pina Bausch, a well-known choreographer who helped shape the dance industry during the late 1900s, was highly noted to use interactions between the audience and the performer. “Often in her works, a line of dancers walks close together...making eye contact with us, inviting us to share in the fun of their parade” (Boynton). Dance is not only about achieving proper technique and perfect physique, but also becoming a character as to portray the right mood to the audience. “Dance is an art form in which the body is the instrument of expression” (Simpson). It is art in motion that forms a personal relationship between the performer and the audience. This use of audience-performer relationship enhanced Bausch’s productions. Through the development of the psychological study and the creative minds of dance, a path has been paved to allow innovative minds from both subjects to work together so they can help create better psychological situations for dancers. However many choreographers are not aware of the psychological effects of their choreography and therefore, the performer, performance, and the audiences perception of the choreography are in turn affected. Choreographers should consider the psychological effects of dance because choreography can have positive and negative psychological effects on the dancer as well as the audience.
Choreographers have become much more creative in their routines because it is more intriguing to watch and stimulates more parts of the brain. Paul Taylor, a modern dancer and choreographer, has lived his life through dance and has become one of the many legends within the dance community. “From the 1970s to the 1990s, his dancers addressed issues such as incest, rape, war, religious zealotry and the dangers of conformity” (Burgess). Paul Taylor’s works influenced the audience to confront the more uncomfortable parts of the world. His chosen topics captured the audience’s attention better than other works because they related closely to individuals in the audience and stimulated the part of the brain responsible for processing aggression and fear: the amygdala. The amygdala is made up of two neural clusters that are components of the limbic system (Myers 72). When the audience views an artistic rendition of something that connects with them on a deeper emotional level, it stimulates their amygdala and will either draw out negative emotions or not. “Multiple regression analysis showed that specific movement characteristics influenced the perception of particular emotion” (Sawada, Suda and Ishi). Paul Taylor’s use of this tool allows him to deliver what the brain perceives as a stronger performance. Paying special attention to the parts of the brain that cause emotion would enable choreographers to have the knowledge of knowing what are stronger stimulants of emotion. Viewing dance sequences that were only watched is also associated with significant activity in the brain’s premotor areas, inferior parietal lobe, and basal ganglia (Grafton and Cross). If the choreographer observed the effects of their choreography on the physical aspects of their audience (their actual brain rather than opinion) they could create a performance that holds the audience's attention and intrigues them into believing whatever the choreographer is trying to portray through dance.
If choreographers incorporated psychological perspectives into their choreography, they could create a lasting impression on the audience. The audience is always going to try to interpret the choreography. It’s up to the choreographer to help the audience interpret it correctly. This can be done by careful choice of theme and design. Bob Fosse, a choreographer whose career spiked during the 1960s, wrote his work to insinuate provocative behavior-for the time period-with unique body movements and positions. “Classic vaudevillian moves that he learned early in his career--turned-in knees, sideways shuffling, rolled shoulder and ‘mime-like articulation of hands’-- added a unique flavor to his choreography.” (Burgess). This “unique flavor” was unlike anything else of the time. Bob Fosse’s creativity enabled him to create a reaction within the audience that correlated with the theme of the production. Fosse’s use of edgy choreography caused much controversy; however, it created a lasting impression on his audience. “[Fosse’s] last film, the controversial Star 80 (1983), was about the life and murder of Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten. It was nominated for several awards…but its disagreeable subject matter did not win many fans in the U.S.” (Cross). Fosse’s choreography in Star 80 provoked much controversy in many countries; however such choreography created a powerful response from his audience. “He was often encouraged to de-sexualize his dances, and as a result, he did the exact opposite…His personal and professional styles were based around the provocative, which he zealously incorporated into his dances and stage productions.” (Burgess). Fosse was a master at the preliminary styles of what was to evolve into the norm of the dance styles to come. Physical presentation creates an impression on the audience even before the performance begins as well. “But pleasure is not the sole nor the first psychological motive for dancing. This pleasure is of higher order….that is, when they follow some aesthetic ideal and assume the [characteristics] of art…. They are nothing but the bodily reflex of heightened emotions, or affects” (Engel 513). The pleasure that Carl Engel so fondly speaks of is attainable through the aesthetic eyeful that many choreographers are able to produce. This can include perfect lighting, handsome costumes, and the beautiful story that the choreography narrates.
Choreography can have negative effects on the mental health of a dancer but if choreographers took these psychological effects of dance into consideration, they could reduce running these risks. Table 1 shows the effects of creative achievement within the arts can negatively affect a person’s mental health. When discussing the dimensional view of schizophrenic traits, it has been found that with a continuous build of creative achievement, the highest amount of creative achievement possible is most likely with one to two indicators of schizotypy (Kuszewiski). An increase in creative achievement and activities can create mental illnesses.
Source: Kuszewiski, Andrea. “The Genetics of Creativity.” Bogota: Metodo, 2009. Web PDF. 9 October 2013.
Because the dancers must work so hard to maintain a role and stay in character, the attributions of personality changes are necessary to achieve such high level of creative performances. “Both genetics and learning play a role. The extent to which learning contributes is the extent to which personality is subject to change” (Long). The Nature vs. Nurture debate in psychology plays an enormous role in learning and behavior. Like Pavlov’s dogs, humans too can learn to act a certain way after repetitively exercising an action after. “... since personality is developed as a result of our experiences in our environment, the experiences we have will influence the development of our personality.” (Long). If dancers experience a joyful environment (this includes their rehearsals and character role) their personality will become that of a joyful one. Likewise if they experience a grievous environment, their personality will change to become grievous. “The experiences that I have help me to mold and shape myself to fit the emotions I am trying to create…All of the experiences I have had help shape me into the person that I am, therefore they have all directly affected the performer I am as well” (Mills). Mills describes the psychodynamic perspective in psychology in which personality and behavior is shaped by the conflicts in childhood and can be redirected due to current drives and motivations.
Physique plays a huge role in dancing and if the dancer does not achieve the level necessary, they may not attain a role. “The health and sanity of dancers are being sacrificed for this art form. Until dancers, audiences, and management accept a new, healthier paradigm, dancers will continue to suffer” (Kelso). The dancer’s need to fit a specific “look” creates utter pandemonium within the dancer’s body. Dancers attack their bodies with unhealthy means to shape their body so they may have the chance to get a role. “‘They’ve always looked for the easy way out, whether it’s health food or fringe medical treatment.’ Dr. Bachrach said, ‘and part of the psychology is to ignore problems, because it’s just too threatening to think of having to stop dancing’” (Dunning). This is not an old concept. Dated articles within The New York Times from the early 1980s are still available bear witness to what has become a culture within the dance community; this quote from Solving Dancers’ Health and Emotional Problems being only one example.
If choreographers considered the psychological aspects of art they could create the cognitive skills that are necessary for the audience to understand the choreography and give the desired reaction. The difference in understated movements and exaggerated movements is the difference between a high level of energy and a low level of energy. “Words alone can only hint at the depth and complexity of our emotional experience, but art, and in this case, dance, accesses and transmits emotions directly, bypassing spoken language and reaching us in deeply personal ways” (Ceccoli). The old and tired saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is irrefutable. Art is a universal language that cuts all language, culture and race barriers. If the choreographer creates a production that does not relate to the audience, the audience will have a hard time trying to interpret and understand the piece. “Bausch grabs us and pulls us into her pieces. Her language is the language of raw emotion, of what people do to each other, of what people are capable of, of what all of us are sure about: love, despair, violence, aggression, beauty” (Ceccoli). Pina Bausch was notorious for using themes that created deep personal meanings; “there are undercurrents-of agony, of humor, of absurdity, of futility, of affection-that keep us engaged” (Boynton). On a more foreboding level, other themes include: “angst, loneliness, alienation, the inability to make human connections, rejection, and the struggle for self-identity” (Tashiro). All forms of art media are capable of doing so and Bausch proved that dance was no exception. This way of thinking is why Bausch is considered one of dances most inventive pioneers.
Over the years, choreographers have created much more complex and creative choreography because it is more intriguing to watch and engaging of the mind. “Dance has its own content, vocabulary, skills, and techniques, which must be understood and applied to be proficient in the art” (“The Elements of Dance”). The arts present an opportunity for self-expression and intertwine the connection between concrete reality and a fluid fantasy. However, in the dance art choreography can have negative effects on the dancer and if choreographers adhered to the psychological effects of dance, these risks could be minimized. If choreographers integrated ways to stimulate cognition they could invoke a greater impression on the audience. Art holds many psychological aspects and if choreographers used this asset they could generate a stronger response, reaction, and performance from the audience and dancers. Choreography can either enhance or destroy the positive psychological effects of dance on the audience and the dancer. If the choreographer considers psychology when choreographing, they increase the potential of a superlative performance.
Works Cited
Boynton, Andrew. “The New Yorker: Pina Bausch’s Last Dance.” The New Yorker. 26 October 2012. Web. 1 October 2013
Burgess, Joanna. “10 Famous Choreographers.” Discovery. Web. 1 October 2013
Ceccoli, Velleda. “Feeling Pina: How the Choreographer Moved People”
Cross, Lucy E. “Bob Fosse.” Masterworks Broadway. Sony Music Entertainment. 14 May 2013. Web. 29 October 2013.
Dunning, Jennifer. “Solving Dancers’ Health and Emotional Problems.” The New York Times. 4 September 1982. Web. 3 October 2013.
“The Elements of Dance.” Minneapolis Public Schools. Web. 29 October 2013.
Engel, Carl. “Why do We Dance.” The Musical Quarterly 6.4 (1920). 510-531. Web. 3 October 2013.
Grafton, Scott., and Cross, Emily. “Dance and the Brain.” The Dana Foundation. 3 October 2013. Web. 9 October 2013.
Graham, Martha. Goodreads Inc. Web. 3 October 2013.
Kelso, Paula. “Behind the Curtain: The Body, Control, and Ballet.” Edwardsville Journal of Sociology 3.2 (2003): n. pag. Web. 3 October 2013.
Kuszewiski, Andrea. “The Genetics of Creativity.” Bogota: Metodo, 2009. Web PDF. 9 October 2013.
Long, Charles J. “Personality.” Introductory Psychology. Web. 3 October 2013.
Mills, Scott. Personal interview. 10 October 2013.
Myers, David G. Psychology 8e. New York: Worth Publishers, 2007. Print.
Sawada, Misako., Suda, Kazuhiro., and Ishi, Motonobu. Expression of Emotions In Dance: Relation Between Arm Movement. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2003. Print. 3 October 2013.
Simpson, Susan. “Dance Injury Management.” New Zealand: DANZ, 2006. Web PDF. 3 October 2013.
Tashiro, Mimi. “Pina Bausch: Life & Works”. Stanford Presidential Lectures in the Humanities and Arts. Stanford: Stanford University, 1999. Web. 29 October 2013.