Preference for Aesthetic Principles in Dance

Abstract

In this study, aesthetic preference in dance is investigated from the perspective of dancers and non-dancers.  We assumed that the preference for the golden ratio, good continuation, and symmetry has an advantage over works that do not have embedded aesthetic principles, and that this preference would be mostly general and not dependent on the viewer's level of education. Photographs and video clips were used, some of which had an embedded aesthetic principle and some of which did not. A questionnaire was used to gauge participants' opinions along the dimensions of liking, impact, and excitement. The results suggest that people like it more when they perceive these aesthetic principles in dance than when they do not, and that the quality of the responses does not depend on artistic qualifications. Furthermore, it turns out that if the goal is the greater impact or excitement, it is more appropriate to incorporate the golden ratio into the choreography. Good continuity and symmetry are more likely to cause a sense of pleasure than impact or excitement in the audience.