Madeline

Browne
Advanced Research in Dance

A Dancer’s Memory

Abstract

Although dance has been around for centuries, physiological and psychological

benefits from dance are just recently making their way into scientific literature. Dance has

been proven to have a positive impact on the memory of movement sequences and so this

study looks at twenty-two responses from a survey that tested visual and auditory memory

of dancers and non-dancers. Participants were between the ages of 19 and 22 and attend

Muhlenberg College. The results of this study suggested a significant correlation between

dance training and visual memory. Yet, this study failed to prove any significant

correlations between dance training and auditory memory and between current dance

training and visual or auditory memory. Therefore, it is possible that a larger sample size

with more variance in age groups could produce different results.

Introduction

Dance has been an art form for centuries, however in comparison to what is known

about the history of dance, very little is known about the physiological and psychological

benefits of dance. Thus, research into how the brain can be studied through dance has

slowly been making its way into literature and has led to many new questions about how

dance can actually impact the brain and body. Recent research has shown a correlation

between dance and improvements in memory, visual and spatial awareness, attention,

reaction times, posture, and sensory-motor performance1. Many possible explanations for

why dance has such wide-ranging impacts have been suggested but the most plausible
reason is that dance encompasses the intertwining of physical, artistic, and cognitive

abilities. The coordination of these abilities, which are controlled by the brain may be what

allows dance to correlate with the creation of new neural pathways1.

A study conducted by Kattenstroth et al. discusses mild stress responses in cells,

which can lead to neuroprotective functions2. What is most important about this is that

mild stress responses in cells are activated through sensory stimulation, physical activity,

and cognitive challenges2. Thus when compared to the abilities required of dancers, such as

sensory-motor coordination and physical fitness, it is not hard to see the correlation

between mild stress responses and dance. Accordingly, it can be suggested that dance can

lead to neuroprotective functions as a result of mild stress responses.

Further, due to the correlation of dance, new neural pathways, and neuroprotective

functions, dance has recently become a major component of various treatments for those

with mental impairments such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease3. One of the largest

struggles Parkinson’s patients face is finding treatment for the lesser-known symptoms

such as cognitive and emotional decline4. Given these struggles various studies have been

conducted on Parkinson’s disease patients by exposing them to group dance therapy. What

has resulted from these studies is an overwhelming correlation between dance and the

multitude of positive effects it has on cognition and emotion4.

As far as dementia goes, a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of

Medicine researched various leisure activities and their correlation to the risk of dementia

in an aging population. The findings of this study have suggested that dance is one of the

only physical activities to provide any protection from dementia5. While the study does not

go into specifics on why dance may provide protection the authors suggest that the
requirements to successfully dance, especially the coordination of music and movement

activate various parts of the brain leading to an increase in varying neural pathways.

Other studies such as a 2008 study conducted by Hokkanen et al. have discussed the

possibility of benefits that dementia patients can experience from Dance Movement

Therapy6. Within their findings, Dance Movement Therapy correlated with a slight increase

in visual functions, planning, and memory capabilities6. Given these results, the researchers

suggested that Dance Movement Therapy could be an option to treating cognitive decline in

dementia patients. Thus, with both dementia and Parkinson’s disease characterized by a

loss of cognitive reserves and the ability of Dance Movement Therapy to help and slow the

decline, the creation of new and various neural pathways through dance could conceivably

provide an increase in cognitive reserves, slowing the progression of many different neural

diseases5.

Additionally, dance has been shown to help recovery in stroke patients. In a study

conducted by Marika Demers and Patricia McKinley they reference the Canadian Best

Practice Stroke Recommendations for Stroke Care. Within these recommendations is

emphasis on regular participation in aerobic exercise that can be adapted based on

personal limitations7. Due to the adaptability of dance to those of various capabilities and

levels of training, dance and its use as therapy can be tailored directly to the patient

providing a safe form of aerobic exercise.

Another study conducted on stroke patients proved a correlation between thirty

hours of adapted tango lessons and stroke recovery8. In this study conducted by Hackney et

al., one individual struggling with spastic hemiplegia in both arms and legs was offered

thirty hours of adapted tango lessons to accompany the patient’s chronic phase of stroke
recovery. After participating in thirty hours of dance, researchers recorded improvements

in single, manual, and cognitive functions as well as the individual’s ability to walk and

reach8.

Consequently, if dance can positively impact the cognitive reserve of an older

population and those suffering from cognitive decline based illnesses, would dance have

similar effects on the cognitive reserve of a younger population? A 1994 study by Smyth

and Pendleton presented a stronger correlation between professional dancers and the

ability to remember a sequence of movements9. Those who were part of the professional

dancers group remembered both longer structured and unstructured movement sequences

than those who were not professional dancers. Another study conducted by Starkes et al.

looks at memory of movement sequences in eleven-year olds10. In this study, eleven-year

old ballet expert dancers were compared to a group eleven-year old novice dancers. Within

the expert group, the ability to recall structured and unstructured ballet movement

sequences was significantly better. Thus both studies suggest that even young dancers have

a better memory when it comes to movement sequences.

However, does this mean that dancers have a better memory when it comes to

topics other than movement sequences? How about visual and auditory memory? The

following research aims to answer this question by testing the auditory and visual memory

of college aged dancers and non-dancers. Thus, if those who have a history of dance

training have a better memory when it comes to remembering movement sequences, it is

plausible that those who have a history of dance training would have a better memory

when it comes to auditory and visual cues.

Methods

In order to test the hypothesis, a survey was created and distributed through social

media upon approval from the Institutional Review Board at Muhlenberg College.

Participants were limited to students on the college’s campus, thus all possible participants

were between the ages of 18 and 22 and expected to receive an undergraduate degree

between the years 2017 and 2020. The survey began with questions pertaining to the

participant’s history of dance training, how many hours they currently participate in dance

training, and if they have played or currently play a sport.

Following questions about their dance history, participants were prompted to

remember as many details as

possible while viewing the image on

the left (Figure 1.) for thirty seconds.

After thirty seconds of viewing the

photo the survey moved participants

onto the following page where

multiple-choice questions (Table 1)

were answered about what they

could recall from the image. Thus

this part of the survey tested visual

memory. To test auditory memory,

participants listened to an eighteen

second video, which repeated a list
Figure 1. Image shown to participants for thirty
seconds to test visual memory.
of nine words three times (Table 2).

 What color was the flower? Food
How many balloons were there? Black
Which of the following was not pictured? Living
Which way was the fish facing? Banana

How many stripes were on the shoe? Water
What color was the car? Free
How many leaves were on the stem of the flower? Book

Male
Table 1. List of Multiple-choice questions asked
Paper
following thirty seconds of viewing the photo.

Table 2. List of words

part of the auditory
Upon completion of the video, the survey moved
memory test
participants to the following page where they were asked to type out the words they heard

and remembered from the video.

History of Dance Training No History of Dance Training
Results Visual Auditory Visual Auditory
4 6 1 4
A total of 22 responses 4 7 2 6
3 6 1 7
were collected with participants 4 5 2 4
5 3 2 4
between the ages of 19 and 22.
2 4

77.2% (seventeen out of twenty- 3 5

3 5

two) of participants had 2 4

3 4

experience some form of dance 4 6

4 5
training while 22.7% (five out of
5 5

5 4
twenty-two) had not
5 6

6 6
experienced any form of dance
5 6

training. 50% (eleven out of Mean: 3.94 Mean: 5.12 Mean: 1.60 Mean: 5.00

Table 3. Numbers under the visual columns represent the

twenty-two) of participants number of multiple-choice questions each participant got
correct. The auditory columns represent the number of
were currently participating in words each participant got right.
 some form of dance training when the survey was conducted.

To compare the results between those with a history of dance training and those

without a history of dance training (shown in table 3, figure 2, figure 3) one unpaired t-test

was conducted for visual memory and a second for auditory memory. Based off the results

of the visual t-test, those with a history of dance training (mean = 3.94, SD = 1.14)

performed significantly better on the visual memory test (p-value = .0003) than those

without a history of dance training (mean = 1.60, SD = 0.55). Results for the auditory

memory did not prove to have any significance (p-value = .8406) between those with dance

training (mean = 5.12, SD = 1.05) and those without (mean = 5.00, SD = 1.41).

Figure 2. Dance Training Figure 3. Dance Training
This chart depicts the number of participants that This chart depicts the number of participants that

got the corresponding number of multiple-choice got the corresponding number of words correct.
questions correct. The blue bars represent The blue bars represent participants with a history

participants with a history of dance training while of dance training while the red bars represent
the red bars represent participants without a participants without a history of dance training.

history of dance training.

Figure 4. Current Dance Participation
Figure 5. Current Dance Participation
This chart depicts the number of participants that This chart depicts the number of participants that
got the corresponding number of multiple-choice
got the corresponding number of words correct.
questions correct. The blue bars represent The blue bars represent participants with current
participants with current participation in dance
participation in dance training while the red bars
training while the red bars represent participants represent participants no currently participating in
no currently participating in dance training.
dance training

To compare the results between those who currently participate in dance training

and those who do not (shown in table 4, figure 4, figure 5) one unpaired t-test was

conduced for visual memory and a

Current Dance Participation No Current Participation
Visual Auditory Visual Auditory
second was conducted for
4 7 4 6
auditory memory. In both the 3 6 1 4
4 5 2 6
visual and auditory tests, neither 2 4 1 7
3 5 5 3
group, current dance training 2 4 3 5
3 4 2 4
participation (visual: mean = 3.55, 4 6 5 4
4 5 5 6
SD = 1.04, auditory: mean = 5.18,
5 5 6 6
SD = 0.98) and no current dance 5 6 2 4

Table 4. The visual columns represent the number of

training participation (visual: multiple-choice questions each participant got correct.
The Auditory column represents the number of words
mean = 3.27, SD = 1.79, auditory:
each participant got right.
mean = 5.00, SD = 1.26) correlated with a better outcome (visual: p-value = .6670, auditory:

p=value = .7104).

Discussion

The hypothesis of this study was that those who have had dance training would

have a better visual and auditory memory. This hypothesis comes from the various benefits

that dance has had patients with mental illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia,

Alzheimer’s and stroke. Since dance intervention therapies have correlated with better

cognitive function in such patients it would be reasonable to assume that dance would

correlate with a better memory in a healthy population.

This study proved to show a significant difference in the visual memory of a person

with previous dance training and a person without. Given the suggestion that dance helps

with visual functions at stated in the 2008 study conducted by Hokkanen et al.6 mentioned

in the introduction, it is evident that this research has supported that finding. Thus, those

who engage in dance training at some point in their life will likely have an increased visual

memory. But, given this result there was no significant difference in the auditory memory

of a person with previous dance training and a person without. Additionally, there was no

significant difference in visual or auditory memory based on current participation in dance

training.

Nevertheless, while this study came to a similar conclusion to the Hokkanen et al.

study6, this study may not be completely representative of the general population. Given

that the study was conducted on a college campus with participants between the ages of 19

and 22, a study done on those who are older and younger may lead to different results.
Furthermore, many things can affect memory such as education, genetics, athletics, and

head trauma. Without taking these other effects into consideration there may be

differences in the overall correlation of memory and dancers. A more beneficial way to test

dance and memory would be to exclude those with previous head trauma and/or other

athletic training. In addition to this, a longer and two-part study that has a baseline for

participants and re-tested them after dance class participation would probably result in

more accurate results. Even though, this study does provide some interesting perspectives

on whether dance training impacts visual and auditory memory and fosters more ideas for

future studies.

Lastly, going forward it would be interesting to look in to how those with dance

training compare in a combined memory test of visual and auditory cues. The Starkes et al.

study mentioned above discusses that eleven-year old ballet dancers had a tendency to

forget the last movements of a sequence, especially when the music they learned the

sequence to was turned off10. Therefore it seems that dancers may have a better memory

when both visual and auditory cues are combined.

Conclusion

In all, this study correlated college students with previous dance training with a

better visual memory than college students without previous dance training. Auditory

memory did not seem to be affected by previous dance training and current dance training

had no significant effect on visual or auditory memory. However, given these results there

are many ways that this study could have been improved and could have resulted in other

correlations.

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