OddFile: A Belly Dancing Robot

Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife

There is, apparently, what might be called a Neuroscience of Belly Dancing — including a small literature on what skills at a young age predict belly dancing ability at an older age.

If you’ve got nothing better to do this afternoon, you can read all about it in “Impact of motor abilities on belly dance performance in female high school students,” a study about which I would have had a great deal of skepticism were I the grant administrator:

The aim of the study was to determine the relation of motor abilities and belly dance performance in female high school students, 1st to 4th graders aged 15-18 years. A battery of 19 motor tests were used and nine belly dance elements evaluated in the study sample that included 148 students aged 15-16 (1st and 2nd graders) and 123 students aged 17-18 (3rd and 4th graders). Factor analysis of the motor space isolated six factors in either study group: in 1st and 2nd graders, the first factor integrated coordination, trunk strength, aerobic and muscle endurance, and speed of lower extremity movements; second factor defined explosive strength; third factor defined flexibility; fourth factor defined rhythm coordination; fifth factor defined equilibrium; and sixth factor defined back musculature strength; in 3rd and 4th graders, the first factor integrated coordination and lower extremity explosive strength; second factor defined flexibility; third factor integrated trunk strength and aerobic-muscular endurance; fourth factor defined equilibrium; fifth factor defined rhythm coordination; and sixth factor defined lower extremity strength. Factor analysis of the scores allocated to particular belly dance elements isolated only one factor as a factor of the general specific ability for belly dance performance. Regression analysis in the latent space indicated the factor of flexibility, which is responsible for muscle tone regulation, to be the best predictor of belly dance performance in 1st and 2nd graders. In 3rd and 4th graders, the factor of rhythm coordination was found to be superior in predicting belly dance performance, followed by the factor of trunk strength and aerobic-muscular endurance, the factor integrating coordination and lower extremity strength, and factor of equilibrium.

So, rhythm coordination is apparently the key. All of which is just an excuse to link to this page of videos of a belly dancing robot.

HT: Mind Hacks