ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by elaborating on four strands of dance performance. First, a dance performance typically involves several elements, including, but not limited to, narrative, costumes, music or lighting. Second, these movements are performed by an agent, who often requires specific motor and mental training in order to execute the movements with precision and fluency: the dancer. Third, dance is the process or product of deliberately arranging these elements (movements, dancers, scenario and music) in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions of the audience, and is thus strongly connected to an aesthetic experience. Finally, the aesthetic experience is often the result of the participation of an observer in a performance setting. The chapter provides information on a new tool, namely the use of knowledge about the neural mechanisms underlying action observation in an observer. It discusses the elements of movement, dancer and observer in the context of cognitive neuroscience.
