Creative Flow and Physiologic States in Dancers During Performance.

Pre-professional and professional dancers ( = 60) participated in this ambulatory psychophysiology study that investigated performance flow and heart rate and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function during three time periods: baseline rest, performance, and post-performance rest. To gather these results, the psychophysiology laboratory traveled to the concert hall to collect data on dancers. The self-report Flow State Scale (FSS) measured global flow, challenge-skill balance, sense of control, and autotelic experiences; it addresses important features of the creative experience of performing artists.