Introductory Blog Post – Muscle Memory in Dance
Rhea R -
Rhea Rajesh: Introductory Blog Post
2/7/2024
Welcome all! This will be a blog dedicated to tracking my progress on my Senior Project, “How Long does it take for Muscle Memory to be Activated in a Dance Routine?”
A brief summary of my project and goals:
Ever wonder how you can still remember parts of that school dance routine from 5 years ago? With enough repetitions, the human body automatically adapts to the motions and stores the motor information for later use. Muscle memory serves as the primary method that dancers effectively commit choreography to memorization and allows them to focus on adding on other elements such as facial expressions and energy that enhance their dancing and create a visual spectacle.
Through my research, I aim to tackle the muscle memory process and research approximately how long it takes a dancer to commit a dance to memory. I will also take into account how long a dancer has been dancing, the age of the dancer, and the different styles of dance. I will survey my sample size to get a rough idea of these characteristics that pertain specifically to each person. I strive to teach a routine to my subjects and record their learning process, including the amount of time it takes to ingrain the choreography in muscle memory. This research can have practical applications to not only dance but also fields such as physical therapy or playing an instrument. It may be able to provide a rough estimate of recovery time or practice hours required to optimize the quality of performance. My goal is to determine the best estimate of time needed to advance dance skills that can be tailored to different performers factoring in unique characteristics in order to help a dancer improve their abilities in learning, performance and beyond.
Background:
Missing out on the window to attend professional dance lessons as a child and only later discovering my passion for dancing, I thought it was much too late for me to reach the level I desired. However, with enough practice and repetition of my favorite music video choreographies on YouTube, I was able to commit the moves to memory and train my body to tremendously improve over time. Even now, as I revisit those dances from 3 years ago, I am still able to successfully replicate the movements as I did back then. My muscle memory has strengthened as I experience a positive association between the amount of repetitions I do and the effectiveness in which I am able to remember choreography. Determining this approximate amount of practice in which muscle memory can prove most effective can push those who aspire to dance to performing with confidence and joy.
- Rhea 🙂
Site Placement: https://www.diamonddanceworks.com/
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