by SHAHRZAD KHORSANDI photo by MICHAEL MARES
Transmitting cultural knowledge through movement language MOVING ACROSS CULTURES
Anne Huang T
What is Persian/Iranian dance? The terms “Persian” and “Iranian” are often used synonymously and there is some confusion and much discourse around the appropriate term for this dance genre. In Iran the term “Ira- nian dance” is used. There are various genres within Iranian dance, includ- ing numerous dances belonging to tribes from around the country. These tribes speak their own dialect and fol- low their own customs. Much like the language, the dances of each region, in addition to the music and tradi- tional attire, are distinct and part of the tribes’ identity. However, there is a common movement language that all Iranians share. This movement style carries a natural flow that is a major part of the aesthetic identity of Iranian art and culture, and is practiced both as a social activity by Iranians with no formal dance training, and as an artis- tic expression by contemporary danc- ers and choreographers.
he effects of dance on the brain have been studied using Western dance forms like ballet, but not with less known forms like Persian/Iranian dance. Until now. When I was contacted by Dr. Julia F. Chris- tensen, a neuroscientist at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics and former professional ballet dancer, I got very excited. Julia was interested in the work I was doing on codifying Persian/Ira- nian dance movement and wanted to collaborate on an experiment involving a Persian movement library. At first, I was intrigued by the idea of using
Iranian dance as the movement form to study the effects of dance on the brain. But in the process of our experiments, I also became enthralled with the idea that transmission of cultural knowledge through the movement lan- guage specific to that culture may also affect the brain. As dance practitioners and educators, we know intuitively that dance is ben- eficial for both physical and emotional health. It also makes sense to assume that emotional balance leads to better social behavior. There is a connection between our brain and our emotions 1 , as well as between our emotions and behavior. Since dancing directly influences our emotions, it becomes a fourth component in this dance between biology and psychology. 1 According to a study published by Behavioral Brain Research , “…emotion regulation relies on a cognitive control system involving inhibition-related prefrontal regions to dampen activation in emotion-associated structures, such as the amygdala, insula and anterior cingulate cortex.” (Restoring Emotional Stability: Cortisol Effects on the Neural Net- work of Cognitive Emotion Regulation- Jentsch, Merz, and Wolf Volume 374 , 18 November 2019, 111880).
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in dance SUMMER 2022 14
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
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