University of Western Sydney

05/27/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/27/2022 01:01

Dance and science combine for unique experience at Vivid Sydney

Professor Emily Cross from Western Sydney University's MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development will lead an exciting interactive performance and seminar at Vivid Sydney on Monday, 30 May.

Dancing Brains and Thinking Bodies (opens in a new window) will combine dance and science to offer participants an 'on-your-feet' exploration of the why and how of dance from a human neuroscientific perspective.

An expert in human action, dance, neuroscience and human-machine interaction, Professor Cross said the event stems from more than a decade of her research into the cognitive neuroscience of dance.

"Dancing Brains and Thinking Bodies will explore how the human brain makes the remarkable transition between seeing and doing, how dance is helping neuroscientists to understand fundamental truths about the human brain and cognition, and in turn, how neuroscience is enhancing our understanding of what it means to be moved by a dance performance, aesthetically," said Professor Cross.

The event will provide insight into research by Professor Cross that addresses how experience shapes perception.

Her area of inquiry includes how we learn new skills by watching others, how action expertise is manifest in the brain, the neural foundations of art appreciation, and our social interactions with artificial agents.

As part of the event - which will feature a team including a dancer, neuroscientists, and a professional screen producer - a lucky volunteer will be asked to wear a mobile brain imaging device that broadcasts electrical signatures of their brain activity as part of a live demonstration.

Dancing Brains and Thinking Bodies will take place at 3.30pm-5pm, Monday, 30 May at Vivid Ideas Exchange - UTS, The Great Hall.

For more information and to purchase a ticket, please visit the Vivid Sydney web page (opens in a new window).

ENDS

27 May 2022

Media Unit

Image: Pixa Bay