Relating subjective evaluation to objective biomechanical measurements in hip-hop dance choreography
Abstract
Hip-hop dance is rapidly growing in today’s popular culture as a performance art and mode of expression. However, there is little understanding of this medium in the dance science literature, and there are a limited number of ways to evaluate hip-hop dance performance without relying on a high amount of subjectivity. Thus, research into the relationship between subjective outcomes based on aesthetics and objective outcomes related to the kinematics and kinetics of hip-hop dance is needed to advance this burgeoning dance medium.
PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between the biomechanics of common moves implemented into hip-hop dance choreography and subjective evaluation of these moves as evaluated by expert judges.
METHODS: Healthy participants (N = 18, 24 ± 2 years) learned a brief hip-hop dance routine over the course of a week and then performed it in the laboratory. 3D coordinates of 28 reflective markers were tracked at 240 Hz, while ground reaction force data was collected at 1200 Hz using two force plates. These data were used to compute biomechanical outcomes for two common dance moves built into the choreography: the arm wave and footwork. Video of each participant’s performance was sent out to judges for scoring, and then two stepwise regression models were developed to determine whether arm wave kinematics (e.g., shape deviation from a typical sine wave) and footwork kinetics (e.g., timing of force distribution between the feet) could predict judge’s scores.
RESULTS: Displacement of the right 3rd MCP joint (p = < .001, β coefficient = -.891), propagation velocity of the left forearm (p = .010, β coefficient = -.331), and propagation velocity of the right forearm (p = .037, β coefficient = -.248) were significant predictors of judges’ scores.
CONCLUSION: This study indicates that during the arm wave, judges consider the distal aspects of the motion (related to the hand and forearm) to be indicative of proficient performance—demonstrating a relationship between objective dance biomechanics and subjective scoring. In addition to providing an initial precedent for prominent variables for measurement in hip-hop dance, these results indicate that further research is needed to determine how judges weight these objective factors in relationship to other subjective factors (e.g., clothing, age, or sex/gender).
Joshua Vicente
Adjunct Professor and Lab Alumni
Gwendolyn Retzinger
Master’s Candidate
