Objective: 

Brain reserach on creativity has revealed valuable insights into brain correlates underlying mental imagination. The previous studies reveal evidence that highly creative individuals exhibited higher alpha activity during performance.The main aim of this study was to investigate the frequency properties of the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain (EEG) between two resting conditions in professional dancers who have attained a high level of expertise in modern dance.

Methods: 

Ten healthy, right-handed professional dancers participated in this study (5 female, 5 male). Spontaneous EEG was recorded during the two different conditions: 5 min EEG sequences under resting conditions were recorded with eyes closed. And then after a task instruction the spontaneous EEG was recorded with eyes closed during 5 min. The order of task was fixed for each participant: while dancers were imagining about the dance style they want to perform mostly, their EEG were recorded.

Results: 

The power of the beta frequency was higher in eyes closed condition than in the dance improvisation mentally condition for the frontal, central, parietal and occipital locations. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). There were also differences for the Channel and Condition X Channel interaction significantly.

Conclusions: 

The present study is important to demonstrate the effects of the dance improvisation task mentally by electrophysiological properties of the brain in professional dancers.