Exploratory behaviour during improvisation tasks: A comparison between professional dancers and inexperienced individuals

• Expertise affects speed and variability in motor pattern transitions during improvisation • Mirror use slows transitions; pairs reduce its influence via collaboration • Task design and expertise shape creative exploration in dance improvisation The study of creativity in physical activity and sport sciences has increased in recent years, reflecting a growing interest in understanding how creative behaviour emerges in practice. In this line, particular attention has been paid to how different constraints shape individuals’ exploratory behaviour, understood in terms of the speed of transitions between motor patterns and the diversity of those patterns. In the specific context of dance, the impact of task constraints (such as using a mirror or working with a partner) during improvisation situations, particularly in relation to participants’ expertise, remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the aim of the study was to compare the exploratory behaviour of professional dancers and inexperienced individuals during improvisation under different task constraints (solo versus duo and mirror presence versus absence), in order to examine how this combination shapes creative exploration rather than performance outcomes. Twelve professional dancers and twelve inexperienced individuals were recorded while improvising under four conditions: a) Individual improvisation Without Mirror (IWOM), b) Individual improvisation With Mirror (IWM), c) Pair improvisation Without Mirror (PWOM), and d) Pair improvisation With Mirror (PWM). Exploratory behaviour was analysed using an observational instrument, and intra observer and inter observer reliability were assessed prior to data analysis. A linear mixed model was applied. The results reveal expertise related differences in exploratory strategies, with inexperienced participants showing quicker transitions between motor patterns and professional dancers demonstrating lower variability. Furthermore, improvisation with a mirror appears to produce slowed transitions, while pair improvisations seem to reduce the mirror’s influence in favour of collaborative dynamics. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of creativity in dance as a situated and dynamic process and offer relevant insights for artistic and educational practice.