Backwards and forwards in space and time: Recalling dance movement from long-term memory

Recall of complex non-verbal motor sequences, such as contemporary dance, provides insights into the structure and mechanics of human memory - specifically, cues and associations in long-term memory (LTM). In this study, four dancers recalled material - eight exercises in the form of short dances - that they had not performed for between three and 31 years. The dancers initially recalled the exercises in silence, although each one had been learned to a particular piece of music. The exercises were recalled either immediately or after an unfilled delay and using self-motion or a mannequin. Recall rates were similar across immediate and delayed conditions; self versus mannequin motion had little impact on the length of material recalled. Qualitative data indicated that music and dancer movement were important cues to LTM; transitions were sometimes forgotten; images associated with movement recall were kinaesthetic, verbal, visual and auditory. The results are consistent with accounts of LTM for other temporal arts and suggest activation of multimodal associates and images.