The Creation Process of the Novel Expressions of the Expert Performers

Abstract

In the domains of performing arts, such as dance and theater, how do people generate their novel works? This study conducted a case study over several days to capture the creative processes of expert breakdancers to investigate the long-term creative process in performing arts domains. We analyzed these processes using a visualization method of the body parts on which the dancer focused and the movement data measured using a motion capture system. The results suggest that the body parts under focus and the dancers' ideas changed drastically during the creation process. The understandings and interpretations of some specific domain knowledge and skills that also changed during the processes served as the internal constraints on the dancers' generation of novel ideas. In addition, the embodiment of the ideas (externalizing the ideas as movements) facilitated changes to the dancers' understandings and interpretations.