Contact Improvisation Dance Practice Predicts Greater Mu Rhythm Desynchronization During Action Observation

Many studies have examined mu rhythm desynchronization (MRD) as an electroencephalographic (EEG) correlate of action simulation, including recent studies investigating how dance expertise enhances this effect. However, dance activities differ not only in their movement styles and repertoires but also in their methods and cognitive processes. The present study examines how practicing contact improvisation-a form of dance in which small groups use physical contact and transferred weight to fluently and jointly move together without choreography-predicts this effect independent of other kinds of dance practice. In line with recent work on EEG correlates of creative cognition. we also examine changes in alpha power while contact improvising compared with performing a set choreography. EEG was recorded while participants (N = 18) with a range of types and amounts of weekly dance practice completed an action observation/ imitation task, and performed a set choreography and contact improvisation with the experimenter using their right arm. Supporting previous findings from the literature, the amount of practice of choreographed dance trended toward predicting greater MRD while observing actions compared with a rest condition; in addition, the amount of practice of contact improvisation significantly predicted this and with a larger effect size. We also report evidence of differences in posterior alpha between choreographed and improvisation performances, suggesting participants overall engaged more visual imagery while improvising compared with performing the choreography. We explain why these findings bear on the ability to improvise and discuss their meaning within the context of work on the neural correlates of creativity.