ORIGINAL PAPER
Does the direction of shapes and bodies influence the aesthetic perception of stage setups in dance?
1
Faculty of Sport Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
Submission date: 2023-08-02
Acceptance date: 2024-01-25
Publication date: 2024-03-26
Hum Mov. 2024;25(1):75-83
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
Perceiving aesthetics in watching dance is a complex field of research, yet the component of space in general and stage setups, in particular in dance, is rarely studied. This study investigates the space on stage through the stage setups used in dance competitions. The main goal was to explore the aesthetic preferences of symmetry and the front-facing direction of shapes in a dance presentation. The investigation tries to determine how observers with differing dance experiences perceive the aesthetics of V-setups, diagonal lines, and their involved dancers by mirroring and turning shapes and bodies.
Methods:
Categorised into three groups (modern dancers, other dancers, non-dancers), 72 active female participants from dance studios and college sports courses evaluated the perceived aesthetics of eight arranged stage setups through a video ranking. Nine motion-captured avatars performed the hip-hop bounce movement in each setup. The participant’s task was to rank the presented stage setups based on their aesthetic perception. The ranking was illustrated with the means values, and the 5% significance criterion was tested with the Friedman-ANOVA.
Results:
The stage setups are perceived differently by the observers. The V-setups reached higher aesthetic scores than the diagonal lines. Only the group of modern dancers showed no preference for the V versus the diagonals. There was a significant difference between the direction of the arranged dancers on stage. The setups with all dancers’ bodies front-facing are aesthetically preferred. Furthermore, the regular V-setup with its top to the front and with all dancers’ bodies facing the front achieved the highest score in the aesthetic evaluation.
Conclusions:
The results provide evidence that the feature of symmetry is a driving factor in perceiving aesthetics in dance. The V-setup can be suggested for use in dance choreographies to improve the aesthetic value of observers. Also, the direction of the dancers facing the front is recommended and should be used in dance stage setups.
Perceiving aesthetics in watching dance is a complex field of research, yet the component of space in general and stage setups, in particular in dance, is rarely studied. This study investigates the space on stage through the stage setups used in dance competitions. The main goal was to explore the aesthetic preferences of symmetry and the front-facing direction of shapes in a dance presentation. The investigation tries to determine how observers with differing dance experiences perceive the aesthetics of V-setups, diagonal lines, and their involved dancers by mirroring and turning shapes and bodies.
Methods:
Categorised into three groups (modern dancers, other dancers, non-dancers), 72 active female participants from dance studios and college sports courses evaluated the perceived aesthetics of eight arranged stage setups through a video ranking. Nine motion-captured avatars performed the hip-hop bounce movement in each setup. The participant’s task was to rank the presented stage setups based on their aesthetic perception. The ranking was illustrated with the means values, and the 5% significance criterion was tested with the Friedman-ANOVA.
Results:
The stage setups are perceived differently by the observers. The V-setups reached higher aesthetic scores than the diagonal lines. Only the group of modern dancers showed no preference for the V versus the diagonals. There was a significant difference between the direction of the arranged dancers on stage. The setups with all dancers’ bodies front-facing are aesthetically preferred. Furthermore, the regular V-setup with its top to the front and with all dancers’ bodies facing the front achieved the highest score in the aesthetic evaluation.
Conclusions:
The results provide evidence that the feature of symmetry is a driving factor in perceiving aesthetics in dance. The V-setup can be suggested for use in dance choreographies to improve the aesthetic value of observers. Also, the direction of the dancers facing the front is recommended and should be used in dance stage setups.
REFERENCES (32)
3.
Tsakalidis K. Choreography. Craft and vision [in German]. Dusseldorf: Stage; 2012.
5.
Orgs G, Hagura N, Haggard P. Learning to like it: aesthetic perception of bodies, movements and choreographic structure. Conscious Cogn. 2013;22(2):603–612; doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.03.010.
10.
Baumgarten AG. Aesthetica. In Schweizer HR (ed.), Texts on the Foundation of Aesthetics. Meiner; 1750: 78–80.
11.
Kant I. Critique of Judgment. Transl. WS Pluhar. Original work published in 1790. Cambridge: Hackett; 1987.
12.
Orgs G, Calvo-Merino B, Cross ES. Knowing dance or knowing how to dance? In: Bläsing B, Puttke M, Schack T (eds.), The Neurocognition of Dance. Mind, Movement and Motor Skills. 2nd ed. London: Routledge; 2018; doi: 10.4324/9781315726410-13.
13.
Leder H, Belke B, Oeberst A, Augustin D. A model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments. Br J Psychol. 2004;95(4):489–508; doi: 10.1348/00071260 42369811.
14.
International Dance Organization, ID O (2021). ID O Official’s Book. Available from: https://www.ido-dance. com/ceis/ido/rules/competitionRules/ID O-DOC-OFFICI ALS-BOOK.pdf.
15.
Deutscher Tanzlehrer- & HipHop-Tanzlehrer Organisation, DT HO. (2022). Competition criteria of DT HO. [Turnierordnung der DT HO.] Available from: https:// dtho.de/images/Downloads/DT HO2022_Turnierordnung_ AuszugHipHop.pdf.
16.
International Dance Organization, ID O (2022). Dance Sport Rules and Regulations. Available from: https://www. ido-dance.com/ceis/ido/rules/competitionRules/2022.01- ID O-Rule-Book.pdf.
17.
Orgs G, Caspersen D, Haggard P. You move, I watch, it matters. Aesthetic communication in dance. In: Obhim S, Cross, E. (publ.), Shared Representations Sensorimotor Foundations of Social Life. Cambridge University Press; 2016;627–653; doi: 10.1017/CB O97811 07279353.031.
19.
Darda KM, Cross ES. A Unifying Model of Visual Art Appreciation. The Role of Expertise and Culture. Preprint. 2022; doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1281325/v1.
20.
Reber R, Schwarz N, Winkielman P. Processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure: Is beauty in the perceiver’s processing experience? Pers Soc Psychol Rev. 2004;8(4): 364–382; doi: 10.1207/s15327957pspr0804_3.
21.
Song J, Kwak Y, Kim CY. Familiarity and novelty in aesthetic preference: the effects of the properties of the artwork and the beholder. Front Psychol. 2021;12:1–17; doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.694927.
22.
Kempe M, Heinen T. Aesthetic perception of stage setups in dance. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022;1(4):29–35; doi: 10.24018/ejsport.2022.1.4.30.
23.
Brielmann AA, Pelli DG. Aesthetics. Curr Biol. 2018; 28(16):859–863; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.004.
24.
Palmer SE, Schloss KB, Sammartino J. Visual aesthetics and human preference. Annu Rev Psychol. 2013; 64:77–107; doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100504.
25.
Kent TM. What is familiar is beautiful. Kentucky: UK Knowledge; 2018:128; doi: 10.13023/ETD .2018.016.
26.
Brown DD , Wijffels G, Meulenbroek RGJ. Individual differences in sequential movement coordination in hiphop dance: capturing joint articulation in practicing the wave. Front Psychol. 2021;12:731901; doi: 10.3389/ fpsyg.2021.731901.
27.
Vinken PM, Heinen T. How does the amount of movement and observer expertise shape the perception of motion aesthetics in dance?. Hum Mov. 2022;23(2):46– 55; doi: 10.5114/hm.2021.106170.
28.
Vinken PM. Kinematic motion characteristics and observer’s expertise in perceived aesthetics of dance jumps. Res Dance Educ. 2022;1–17; doi: 10.1080/14647893. 2022.2033714.
29.
Veit F, Riedel L, Jeraj D. Does jumping to the beat result in better ratings from gymnastics experts? J Hum Sport Exerc. 2022;17(4):909–918; doi: 10.14198/jhse. 2022.174.17.
30.
Vukadinović MS, Marković S. The relationship between the dancers’ and the audience’s aesthetic experience. Psihologija, 2017;50(4):465–481; doi: 10.2298/ PSI160222009V.
31.
Little AC, Jones BC . Evidence against perceptual bias views for symmetry preferences in human faces. Proc R Soc Lond. B. 2003;270(1526):1759–1763; doi: 10.1098/ rspb.2003.2445.
32.
Vinken PM, Heinen T. Perceived aesthetic features differentiating between complex artistic dance skills of varying style. Sci Gymnast J. 2020;12(2):119–133; doi: 10.52165/sgj.12.2.119-133.
| eISSN: | 1899-1955 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
