This presentation will offer practical onstage applications for dancers, inspired by Ranya's master's research in cognitive psychology, which focused on aspects of confidence and evaluative processes in performers and their audiences. How brains work, at the neural level, affects impressions of a performance, and this is worth considering in framing our choreographed and improvisational work. We’ll address concepts of “top-down” vs. “bottom-up” influences on sensory perception; “feedback loops” that shape the evaluative process in performers and audiences; and how preconceptions and preconscious processes can trigger unconscious evaluations in performers and audiences. You’ll leave with a better understanding how you may be seen by your audiences, and a “cognitive checklist” to apply to your creative work, to enhance your chances of making a great impression.

Skill level: All levels.

More about Ranya Renee.