Watching someone gracefully dance across the stage in perfect time to music is a visually stunning example of what the human body and mind are capable of. The performance may look effortless, but it’s really the result of learning sequenced movements, combined with athletic prowess and creativity, that produces the artistic results.

Training is critical for developing your ability to perform choreographed movements, but your genes may give you a (well-timed) leg up. So, how does your DNA factor into your choreography skills? AncestryDNA^® + Traits can help you find out.

What Is Choreographic or Motor Memory?

The ability to effortlessly pick up choreography is actually more about the brain than the body. Choreographic memory refers to a person’s ability to map out and remember the sequence of moves in a performance. Choreographic memory, motor memory, and movement memory all refer to a similar phenomenon of encoding in the brain, but are distinct from muscle memory, which refers to the cellular changes that take place in the muscles through training.

Take ballet, for example. This dance may look gently graceful, but for the dancer, it's incredibly demanding. Motor memory, or implicit memory, allows the dancer to complete a movement without having to consciously think about it. And this type of memory also applies to typing on a keyboard. You don't think about every individual keystroke; rather, you simply type the words you intend to spell. It took you time to learn how to type, but with practice, it becomes automatic.

The vast majority of sports and other performance-based activities utilise this same concept. From playing an instrument to keeping control of a football across the pitch, you're relying on motor memory—gained from extensive repetition and correction—to complete the action without having to think about it. Hobbies like knitting also rely on the ability to internalise and memorise specific movements.

Choreography, Movement Memory, and Genetics

Ancestry^® scientists identified over 498 genetic markers connected to choreography, after reviewing the DNA of more than 201,000 people who answered the question, “How would you rate your ability to learn and perform choreography?” The scientists also calculated a polygenic risk score, which allows them to see if your DNA is making it easier or harder for you to pick up and perform choreography.

But having the genetic markers associated with movement memory doesn’t mean you’ll automatically excel at every TikTok dance—it just might give you a slight advantage. Practice is the primary factor that influences your ability to pick up a new sequence of movements. In fact, only about 7% of the variation between people in performing choreographed movements can be explained by differences in their genetics. Most of the variation comes from differences in practice. To some degree, general athleticism can play a role in movement memory. This is especially true if relying on it for athletic endeavours like gymnastics.

Performing Choreography and Environmental Influences

The vast majority of the ability to perform choreography comes from non-genetic influences. Focused repetition, for example, plays a major role in developing motor memory. Someone who consistently practises a series of movements will likely find it easier to perform them. But the element of focus is critical at the learning stage—each particular movement must be practised as close to perfectly as possible to avoid unintentionally creating bad habits.

Learning different kinds of movement through practice will also provide you with a greater repertoire of body motions to draw on when trying to repeat a choreographed dance or action. A study of dancers in Australia identified four types of movements to recall:

• Static shapes
• Isolated movements
• Partial
• Full movement sequences

Athletic training can also be beneficial to dancers. A study on adolescent dancers revealed that implementing resistance training improved dynamic balance, lower-body strength, and power, all of which matter to performing dancers.

Interesting Insights About Performing Choreography

Having a regular exercise routine is beneficial, whether you’re engaging in individual or team activities. But if you’re trying to decide between following an online choreographed exercise routine on your own or taking a group class in hip hop dance or Zumba at your local YMCA, then you might want to know that research shows performing dance or movement routines as a group activity has additional benefits. For instance, working alongside others to nail a new routine can foster a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. And taking an in-person class might just motivate you to stick to an exercise program, as you may feel more accountable to classmates to show up.

Ready to see how your genes influence your ability to follow choreography? Take an AncestryDNA^® + Traits test to learn more about how your DNA influences your skills on the dance floor, as well as in other athletic endeavours. If you've already taken a test in the past, your results are ready to review with an Ancestry^® membership.

 

References

Dowse, Rebecca A, Mike R. McGuigan, Craig Harrison. “Effects of a Resistance Training Intervention on Strength, Power, and Performance in Adolescent Dancers.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2020. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000002288.

Komatsu, Hiroko, Kaori Yagasaki, et al. “Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.” BMC Geriatrics. August 22, 2017. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0584-3.

“Motor Memory.” Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 2013. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/motor-memory.

Phillips, L. Alison and Jacob Meyer. “Group exercise may be even better for you than solo workouts – here’s why.” January 6, 2021. https://kin.hs.iastate.edu/group-exercise-may-be-even-better-for-you-than-solo-workouts-heres-why/.

Sarkar, Kaus. “The Importance of Repetition: Dance and Culture.” Charlotte Teachers Institute. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://charlotteteachers.org/seminars/2023-seminars/the-importance-of-repetition-dance-and-culture/.

Stevens, Catherine J., Kim Vincs, Scott deLahunta, Elizabeth Old. “Long-term memory for contemporary dance is distributed and collaborative.” Acta Psychologica. March 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.01.002.