Creative Flow and Physiologic States in Dancers During Performance

Abstract

Pre-professional and professional dancers (n = 60) participated in this ambulatory psychophysiology study that investigated performance flow and heart rate and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function during three time periods: baseline rest, performance, and post-performance rest. To gather these results, the psychophysiology laboratory traveled to the concert hall to collect data on dancers. The self-report Flow State Scale (FSS) measured global flow, challenge-skill balance, sense of control, and autotelic experiences; it addresses important features of the creative experience of performing artists. These data were collected immediately following the performance. The flow measures were compared with physiologic responses to performance [heart rate, pre-ejection period (PEP), root mean square differences of successive R-R (heartbeat) intervals (RMSSD), cardiac autonomic balance, and cardiac autonomic regulation]. The regression analyses indicated that greater sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation with performance (PEP change from base to performance) explained 8.8% of the variance in sense of control, whereas less cardiac autonomic regulation explained 13.8% of the variance in autotelic experiences. The sample was then divided into high and low flow groupings and four autonomic groups. During performance, the high autotelic group and high sense of control group had a higher distribution of dancers with co-inhibition of both ANS branches than had the low autotelic and sense of control groups who employed more co-activation of both ANS branches (chi-square analyses). These novel findings add to the growing information about the interaction of both branches of the ANS during creative performance flow states.

Group‐based flow: The influence of cardiovascular synchronization and identifiability

“…That is, the PEP model explains just 7% of the variance in flow ( R 2 = .07). Even though the size of this effect is comparable to similar effects reported in the literature (Jaque et al, 2020), future work, in more applied contexts, should provide more clarity about the practical relevance of the relations between physiological synchrony, flow, and performance.…”

Creativity and Flow: Not a Simple Relationship

“…The decision to compare the subjective experience of the creative process and dispositional/state flow experiences was based on research that demonstrated that dancers value creativity based on the process more than the product (Clements & Redding, 2020). Dancers also reported experiencing flow states while performing, including heightened frequency (dispositional) of experiencing many of the nine flow dimensions (Jaque et al., 2020; Thomson & Jaque, 2016).…”

The anatomy of enjoyment: the flow experience and cardiac surgery

“…In the performance arts, similar conclusions have been reached regarding flow and ultimate performance. In a study by Jaque et al [19], preprofessional and professional dancers endorsed moderate-to-high-flow states associated with creative experiences, rather than challenge-skill scenarios as with traditional athletes; further, the flow experience was significantly amplified in the concert hall. Additionally, elite musicians were more likely to experience a transformation of time and more profound autotelic experiences compared with athletes, while athletes were more likely to have clear goals with unambiguous feedback [19,20 ▪ ].…”

“…In a study by Jaque et al [19], preprofessional and professional dancers endorsed moderate-to-high-flow states associated with creative experiences, rather than challenge-skill scenarios as with traditional athletes; further, the flow experience was significantly amplified in the concert hall. Additionally, elite musicians were more likely to experience a transformation of time and more profound autotelic experiences compared with athletes, while athletes were more likely to have clear goals with unambiguous feedback [19,20 ▪ ]. Consider the environment itself in which the individual is working: an athlete's home-field, linked to the well proved theory of home-field advantage, is a very different atmosphere from the dancers’ concert hall.…”