Measuring partner synchrony during salsa dancing and its relationship to changes in psychosocial domains
Background: Dance is a promising rehabilitation adjunct but understanding the mechanisms through which dance improves physical and psychosocial well-being is necessary for implementation. This study investigated the feasibility of a measure of one possible mechanism: partner synchrony. Secondary objectives were to examine the relationships between partner synchrony, instructor ratings, and changes in psychosocial variables. Methods: Participants wore an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor during a salsa class that was video recorded. Partner synchrony was quantified with correlations of x, y, and z-axis acceleration between dancing pairs. Psychosocial variables were measured pre- and post-class. Salsa instructors rated partner synchrony from video recordings. Feasibility parameters included percentage of participants with data collected and sensor comfort. Pre-post changes were analyzed with Wilcoxon ranked tests and relationships were analyzed with Spearman correlations. Results: Data was collected for 23/24 (96%) participants and 17/24 (81%) reported the sensor was comfortable. All psychosocial variables improved from pre- to post- class. Partner synchrony was significantly associated with instructor ratings and change in positive and negative affect. Conclusions: An IMU-based measure of dance partner synchrony is feasible, associated with ratings by dance instructors and related to changes in mood. The partner synchrony measure can be used to advance our understanding of dance as a therapeutic tool after its reliability is investigated.