The linkage cultivation of creative thinking and innovative thinking in dance choreography

Abstract

Research on creative thinking and innovative thinking has received scholarly attention, but a singular type of thinking mainly was conducted without a clear definition of the two. The creative and innovative thinking ability of choreographers positively correlates with the quality of dance creation. Improvisational dance has a creative connotation due to its randomness and uncertainty and is, therefore, it is an essential practice for evaluating dancers' creativity. The cultivation of creativity through improvisation and the creative and innovative thinking it embodies has been widely researched. The specific mode of thinking in dance creation is dominated by image thinking and supplemented by abstract thinking. Improvisational dance also follows a specific mode of thinking for dance. Creative thinking is an original nature of thinking that emphasises originality, divergence and appropriateness, belongs to image thinking. Innovation thinking is a kind of regenerative thinking based on the application and popularisation of new technologies and products, which emphasises both social and economic benefits, and which aims to add value in terms of value addition; innovation thinking is part of abstract thinking. The theories of the linkage between creative and innovative thinking have been put forward, where the two ways of thinking are intertwined and linked in the actual thinking process, with the product as the linking node. However, the linkage between creative thinking and innovative thinking is only theoretical, with a lack of empirical research. This study takes innovation and creativity as the research perspective. It establishes a limited improvisation dance group and an unlimited improvisation dance group to explore the difference between different improvisation forms on improving innovative and creative ability and providing the optimal choice for developing creative thinking and innovative thinking linkage ability through empirical research. The experimental data indicate that the different forms of improvisation in both groups positively affect innovative and creative ability, but limited improvisation has a slightly more significant effect. Although unlimited improvisation also promotes the development of innovative and creative ability, there is also the potential to hinder innovative and creative ability. As a result of the study, limited improvisation dance is the optimal choice for developing the ability to link creative thinking and innovative thinking. Based on the findings, suggestions for the feasibility of developing the ability to link creative thinking with innovative thinking linkage are also given in this paper.