Ballet as a movement-based contemplative practice? Implications for neuroscientific studies
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience July 17, 2014 Marieke K. van Vugt 10 citations
A neuroscientist who practices both classical ballet and contemplative movement compares the neural and mental causes and consequences of these two movement disciplines. The author argues that ballet, rather than modern dance, provides a good contrast for contemplative practice because modern dance has been influenced by contemplation. The comparison examines four dimensions: cultivation of attention, development of interoception, cultivation of meta-cognition, and emotion regulation. The author notes that limited studies exist due to movement artifacts in neuroimaging and EEG measures, and identifies important gaps in neuroscientific understanding, with implications for future studies of contemplative practitioners and dancers.