Bilateral transfer of right and left dance sequences in experienced and novice dancers

Kimmerle, Marliese PhD, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada;  Cote, Paulette, University of Windsor , Windsor, Ontario, Canada: and Patterson, Jae. University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

A long standing question in motor learning is the extent to which lateral preference affects skill acquisition and the ability to transfer a skill to the non-preferred side.  Extensive research on hand skills (Provins, 1997) has shown that both learning and transfer are task dependent.  This is a pertinent research topic in dance, where skill acquisition on both sides of the body, and the ability to transfer combinations, is an important component of technique training.   Results from two transfer studies using dance combinations (Makowicki, 1994, Puretz, 1983) are inconclusive.  A study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of dance experience and task complexity on the learning and transfer of dance sequences.  Forty females, 20 novice and 20 experienced dancers were videotaped attempting to learn two dance sequences, presented either to their right or their left side and then transferred to the opposite side.  Initial performance, learning after a practice period, and transfer of a simple and a complex dance sequence were compared.  Novices learned and transferred the simple sequence almost as well as the experienced group but, not surprisingly, took more time to learn.  Differences were only evident for the complex sequences.  There were no overall lateral differences between right and left for initial, learning and transfer trials for novices or experts or with either sequence.   The lack of difference for left side learning is noteworthy considering the general right preference for performing many dance skills and the typical right biased dance class.  Results will be discussed in terms of implications for both learning and teaching on the right and left side. The presentation will also address some methodological issues of videotape coding in motor learning studies.