Mental Choreography

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This story is a supplement to the feature "So You Think You Can Dance?: PET Scans Reveal Your Brain's Inner Choreography" which was printed in the July 2008 issue of Scientific American.

The authors found that the following brain regions contribute to dance in ways that go beyond simply carrying out motion.

Anterior vermis
This part of the cerebellum receives input from the spinal cord and appears to act something like a metronome, helping to synchronize dance steps to music.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Medial geniculate nucleus
A stop along the lower auditory pathway, this area appears to help set the brain’s metronome and underlies our tendency to unconsciously tap our toes or sway to music. We react unconsciously because the region connects to the cerebellum, communicating information about rhythm without “speaking” to higher auditory areas in the cortex.

Precuneus
Containing a sensory-based map of one’s own body, the precuneus helps
to plot a dancer’s path from a body-centered, or egocentric, perspective.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American