I recently read the article ‘Dance on the Brain: Enhancing Intra- and Inter-Brain Synchrony. This article tied together all of my interests: Dance, Anthropology and Neuroscience. I have always been interested in learning about dance from cultures around the world. It amazes me that no matter the race, human beings use dance to celebrate life events, conduct rituals, provide entertainment and express themselves. I have started a Cultural Dance Club where dancers from all cultures come together to learn from each other, choreograph together and perform as one. This article tests the hypothesis ‘that our consciousness can be redefined not just as an individual process but as a shared experience that we can positively influence by dancing together.’ I believe that when we learn steps together, as a group, the positive experience of making those neuronal connections truly is a shared alteration in brain chemistry. 

 

I was excited to read the author's study of the connection between the sensory and motor components of the brain while dancing. We often read about the right and left sides of the brain as having separate defined roles. I love learning that dance defies this separation and forces connections across the hemispheres. Due to the challenges and limitations of imaging the brain while dancing, researchers instead studied the brain anatomy of expert vs. novice or non-dancers. They showed that dancers have a greater cortical thickness in the superior temporal regions, gray matter thickness positively correlated with accuracy of dance movements and dance enhances communication in cortical basal ganglia loops that govern motor control. They also tested the hypothesis that ‘through dance, neuronal populations of the brain become highly synchronized, which supports rhythmic coordination between different brain regions.’  I have always known that after training six hours a day for my Arangetram, my memory and cognition improved dramatically. Now I understand there is a physical change in the brain that helps explain this finding. 

 

I have danced with my troupe since I was four years old. These social interactions and connections I made since I was a child have changed the way I approach almost everything. I know my brain chemistry changed when we stumbled through choreography together, laughed and cried at 1:00am on nights before a show or performed on stage under stress in international dance competitions. When thirty dancers move together as one intricate, rhythmic body something magical happens. Our brains are connected, our emotions are intertwined and our bodies are synchronized. The idea that dancing together ‘cultivates not only intra-brain synchrony but also inter-brain synchrony, which can occur between two individuals or as part of a group and serves to drive interpersonal coordination.’ I believe that this is why dance is universal across cultures. It provides both intrinsic reward as well as enhanced interpersonal connections that ‘enhance the collective conscious experience and drive it towards a shared, pleasurable reality.’

 

I find the intersection between dance, anthropology and neuroscience to be fascinating. I believe there is an innate drive across cultures to tell stories and connect through dance. It is a form of communication that goes beyond language that can evoke deep emotion and a collective experience that is shared with both the dancers and audience. When I danced on stage with a candle and pot on my head, on top of another pot, I could feel the strength and encouragement from the audience that I would succeed. I hope this blog inspires others to think about this connection and I plan on discovering more about the impact dance has on the brain.