Theta oscillations are associated with movement during choreographed and improvised dance - a case series with Memphis Jookin’: The Show

Flow is a psychological state of deep immersion and engagement associated with enhanced performance and well-being, yet its neural correlates remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether flow is experienced during Memphis Jookin’, a street dance style originating in Memphis, Tennessee, and examined its behavioral and neurophysiological signatures. Professional Memphis Jookers (N = 6) completed validated self-report measures assessing flow, interoceptive awareness, and embodied responses to movement. Two participants wore 32-electrode electroencephalography (EEG) systems while engaging in choreographed and improvised dance, observing other dancers, and resting state. Independent components were localized using dipole modeling for one participant, with spectral parameterization and functional connectivity assessed. Dancers reported high levels of trait and state flow and demonstrated elevated interoceptive awareness compared to individuals trained in other mind–body practices. Theta-band activity was prominent during dance across regions including the posterior cingulate gyri, inferior temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, paracentral lobule, supplementary motor area, and Rolandic operculum. Resting-state functional connectivity increased after dance across theta, alpha, beta, and gamma frequency bands. Together, these findings suggest that street dance elicits robust flow states accompanied by distinct patterns of large-scale brain activity and connectivity, highlighting dance as an embodied practice with translational relevance for health and well-being.