Examining the Spatial Orientation of Folk Dancers

Abstract

In this paper, an empirical study on dancers' perception of body schema is presented, focusing on mapping the forward middle and place high directional perception of the participants. During the study, participants, comprised of 103 children, adolescents, and adults, performed arm movements in different body positions in the previously defined directions. The exercises were videorecorded on moving images and subsequently analysed using statistical methods. The selection of the sample was designed to obtain a diverse range of the participants' dance-related characteristics (i.e., years of experience in folk dance, professional versus amateur status, and exposure to Lábán kinetography). The research revealed that non-vertical body positions alter the dancer’s internal directional reference system, and that learning Lábán kinetography has an effect on this system.