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View Full Version : Handedness, dyslexia and dancing



Gadget
22nd-February-2005, 02:35 PM
Before this thread (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4759) started I had already noticed a lot of my favourite partners are left handed. I have known several left handed beginners who were were very quick to learn and turned into really artistic gifted dancers.

Now I have just realised - a lot of my favourite right handed dancers are dyslexic, more than I would expect. I wonder if there is a link there too?

So, is there a corelation?
{erm... it's easy to see which options I ticked :blush:}

BTW it's ananonymous poll and you can select more than one option.

Will
22nd-February-2005, 03:22 PM
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but isn't the ability to see any corollation rather limited when the pole is annonymous?

Dreadful Scathe
22nd-February-2005, 03:26 PM
A very good point Will :)

Andy McGregor
22nd-February-2005, 03:31 PM
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but isn't the ability to see any corollation rather limited when the pole is annonymous?
I think we'll be able to see a correlation between dancers who visit the forum - compared to our guess at the norm. But that's it!

The measurement of left-handedness or dyslexia and any correlation between either one and quality of dancing is impossible to make as we have no measure of quality of dancing - certainly self-assessment would be a waste of time as most dancers think they are above average - when, by the laws of statistics, only half of them can be.

Andreas
22nd-February-2005, 03:37 PM
I am not quite but almost ambidextrous, which does help :D

Trousers
22nd-February-2005, 04:04 PM
There is something called Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome commonly know as Irlen Syndrome where colour/light affects a sufferers reading ability. It also affects ones spacial awareness. This would be a consideration in your poll. The effects of this syndrome are more often than not described as laziness or lexdystia.

Every parent should be aware of this Read here (http://www.irlenuk.com/irlenframe.htm)

Gadget
22nd-February-2005, 04:07 PM
Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but isn't the ability to see any corollation rather limited when the pole is annonymous?
The corollation is not ability to dance Vs handedness(etc.); it's about how many dancers actually posses the above traits - I assumed that 99.9% of voters would actually be dancers since this is a dance forum.

TheTramp
22nd-February-2005, 04:26 PM
I assumed the poll was trying to corrollate left handed people to people with dyslexia/AD/talent....

Not whether or not people can dance....

Dreadful Scathe
22nd-February-2005, 04:28 PM
The corollation is not ability to dance Vs handedness(etc.);

but you asked if there was a corellation after this statement ....


Now I have just realised - a lot of my favourite right handed dancers are dyslexic, more than I would expect. I wonder if there is a link there too?

...suggesting that you were looking at the corellation between right/left handedness and dyslexia, which we cant see because the poll is anonymous and we wont see the names of the people who pick those catagories. So Will was quite right.

Andy McGregor
22nd-February-2005, 04:29 PM
Not whether or not people can dance....
And, this is not a forum of dancers, it's a forum of people who think they can dance :innocent:

Dreadful Scathe
22nd-February-2005, 04:32 PM
And, this is not a forum of dancers, it's a forum of people who think they can dance :innocent:
Also a very good point well made :)

Lory
22nd-February-2005, 04:45 PM
I voted....

I'm ambidextrous
Not dyslexic (although others may disagree :innocent: )
I have a bit of an attention disorder (Although, maybe it's just a case of being VERY easily bored, an extremely annoying trait of mine) :blush: :mad:
And I have an artistic talent (I paint)

but I can't see how anyone's going to be able to see, that I didn't vote that I was right or left handed + all of the other things :confused:

So the poll is worthless IMO :rolleyes: sorry Gadget :flower:

bigdjiver
22nd-February-2005, 05:10 PM
Spatial and artistic skills are related to the right side of the brain (which controls the left side of the body, everybody has crossed wires)

a search on "right brained" will produce loads of info, some from dodgy sites.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/extra/module1/print2.shtml

Trish
22nd-February-2005, 05:13 PM
I voted....

I'm ambidextrous
Not dyslexic (although others may disagree :innocent: )
I have a bit of an attention disorder (Although, maybe it's just a case of being VERY easily bored, an extremely annoying trait of mine) :blush: :mad:
And I have an artistic talent (I paint)

but I can't see how anyone's going to be able to see, that I didn't vote that I was right or left handed + all of the other things :confused:

So the poll is worthless IMO :rolleyes: sorry Gadget :flower:

Just curious Lory, can you do everything left handed that you can right handed (eg write, comb your hair, brush your teeth, whatever). That's the definition I'd use for ambidexterous but I wasn't sure if it was everyone elses. If so I should think that's a useful trait in life as well as dance - certainly for leading anyway! :nice:

Personally I am right handed for everything (althought reasonably dexterous with my left I couldn't write my name for example), but I am more artistic than my left handed twin sister - we both dance (me more fanatically though!), but I play the piano and used to also sing and draw/paint. As to the rest of it I am not dyslexic or lacking in attention span.

I agree with everyone else, that it would have been better to be able to see people's answers on this one, but it's an interesting topic none the less.

Trish

Dreadful Scathe
22nd-February-2005, 05:23 PM
That's the definition I'd use for ambidexterous but I wasn't sure if it was everyone elses.

Its the ONLY definition in this context :) To be ambidextrous you must be able to do everything equally well with both hands.

Zuhal
22nd-February-2005, 05:43 PM
I am "aquabipedtrous" meaning that I can turn the bath taps with either foot.:waycool:

Zuhal

Gadget
22nd-February-2005, 06:36 PM
*sigh* Anyone any objections to turning this into a "users can see your votes" poll? ie. have voted but don't want to reveal what they voted for?

If not - a plea to any moderator listening: can you change it please :flower:

TheTramp
22nd-February-2005, 06:40 PM
I don't mind. I'm right handed, not dyslexic, no ADD (though, I do get bored easily), and some talent (for music, literature and dancing, but none for art)

Lynn
22nd-February-2005, 07:03 PM
I don't mind. I'm right handed, not dyslexic, no ADD (though, I do get bored easily), and some talent (for music, literature and dancing, but none for art) :yeah:
(except that I did do some sketching and even had a go at oils years ago)

Zebra Woman
22nd-February-2005, 07:08 PM
*sigh* Anyone any objections to turning this into a "users can see your votes" poll? ie. have voted but don't want to reveal what they voted for?

If not - a plea to any moderator listening: can you change it please :flower:

You have my sympathy Gadget. I had to re-do my poll from public to anonymous. Luckily I only had to do the first letter in each box it predicted the rest. :clap:

Agree with Lory I can't draw any great meaning from it as it is. I have no objection to going public if it is possible.

ZW :flower:

Lory
22nd-February-2005, 07:39 PM
Just curious Lory, can you do everything left handed that you can right handed (eg write, comb your hair, brush your teeth, whatever). That's the definition I'd use for ambidexterous but I wasn't sure if it was everyone elses. If so I should think that's a useful trait in life as well as dance - certainly for leading anyway! :nice:


Its the ONLY definition in this context :) To be ambidextrous you must be able to do everything equally well with both hands.
:yeah: to answer Trish, I'm more practiced at doing things right-handedly, i.e. I write right handed but I CAN write left-handed, it's just scruffy!
I always cut hair with the scissors in my right hand, for obvious reasons, but when blow-drying, i constantly swap (automatically) to keep things even each side, it really bugs me when I watch someone trying to achieve the same results on each side of the hair, without swapping! :confused: I also swap when razor cutting and swap hands when applying eye make-up.

I answer the phone with either hand, text using both, eat left-handed, brush my hair swapping, hold a cup in either with no preference And the few times I've played a racquet sport I predominately use my right but I can clearly remember during a fun game of badminton in the garden, swapping to my left to reach a wide shot and was accused of cheating! :rolleyes: :rofl:

I'm right eyed though...........

To test for this, hold a finger out straight in front of you and line it up with any small object (a smiley on this page?) align the object so its central, then close each eye independently, the object should remain in line for your dominant eye and jump to the side when looking through the other eye!

Tiggerbabe
22nd-February-2005, 08:20 PM
a plea to any moderator listening: can you change it please :flower:
Sorry Gadget, no can do, once you've chosen public or private, that's the way it stays.
You'll have to start again. :blush:

cheeks
22nd-February-2005, 10:43 PM
I am left handed with most things but have found from a very young age that I will use my right possibly just as often as all objects in offices, utensils in kitchens etc are all placed right handed ,the way when living with right handed people or visiting- the handle on the kettle faces the other way, the way everyone thinks I put the iron board up the wrong way or again as I think someone mentioned the mouse on the computer being on the wrong side and you being told it's weird.
Left handed people generally find they will use their right hand for many tasks as it is easier or possibly learned and has been since we were all small children.

I do not suffer from dyslexia or suffer from ADHD(ADD), and have a creative side with art, floral arrangements and design. :blush:
Jury still out on the dancing though! :hug:

:hug:

Cheeks :flower:

Stuart M
23rd-February-2005, 01:23 PM
Another thing limiting the value of this poll is response bias: left-handed and ambidextrous people are more likely to respond because they notice handedness issues more. I did a poll ages ago on the Forum which suggested (IIRC correctly) that a third of dancers were lefties. Given that the ratio in the general populace is roughly* 1 in 7, this is unlikely.

* Most statistics about handedness are vague, since it was only quite recently that society stopped trying to "correct" left-handedness.

Dance Demon
23rd-February-2005, 01:58 PM
I'm right handed, but can do quite a lot of things as well with my left. This is probably inherited from my father who was left handed, but was made to change as a child. I have always been artistic, and interested in music ( played the Cello at primary school). I am not Dyslexic........but I understood " Tallent" as meaning talent :wink: .........

drathzel
26th-February-2005, 06:42 PM
I am right handed but as my big sister was left handed and i wanted to be like her :blush: i tended to do things lefthandedly ie the way i wear my watch, carry my bag etc!

Aparently Left handed people live longer! :hug: