An Introduction to the Neuroscience of Dance by Sofia Amaral Martins

This book introduces the neurological foundations of dance and explores how movement engages perception, memory, emotion, creativity, and learning. Drawing on research from neuroscience, psychology, and dance studies, the book examines dance as both a complex motor skill and a meaningful human practice, with applications in education, performance, and health contexts. Written in accessible language, it is intended for dancers, educators, therapists, students, and general readers interested in the brain mechanisms underlying dance and in how dance practice shapes the brain. Scientific concepts are presented through clear explanations and embodied perspectives, linking theory to lived experience and practice. By placing dance at the centre of neuroscientific inquiry, the book offers a coherent and integrative account of how brain, body, and environment interact through creative movement.

Sofia Amaral Martins is an international dancer, dance educator, and trainee somatic psychotherapist with a background in neuroscience and psychology. Her research on dance perception has been published in Dance Data, Cognition, and Multimodal Communication (Routledge, 2023). Nominated for One Dance UK’s Applied Dance Science Award and the IADMS Dance Educator Award, she is recognised as a Healthier Dancer Practitioner. Through Neuroscience of Dance, she integrates neuroscience, somatic psychotherapy, psychology, and movement to support dancers, educators, and mental-health professionals worldwide.