Abstract
This study explores how executive cognitive functioning and motivational orientation influence creativity among contemporary dance students in Ukrainian higher education institutions. It aims to identify cognitive mediators of creativity, distinguish between pedagogical environments, and provide guidance for rethinking dance education amid crisis and innovation. A mixed-method design was used, combining psychometric scales, creativity tasks, and neurocognitive diagnostics. Sixty undergraduate and postgraduate students were assigned to either a digitally integrated (experimental-like) or traditional (control-like) learning environment. Key tools included the Creative Thinking Test for Dance, the Dance Learning Motivation Scale, and executive functioning assessments. Quantitative methods involved t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, and structural equation modelling, while qualitative responses were thematically analysed. Findings show that intrinsic and identified motivation positively correlate with creativity, with executive functioning acting as a partial mediator. SEM confirmed an indirect path from motivation to creativity via executive control. Although the experimental-like group reported higher teaching effectiveness and showed greater neurocognitive engagement, creativity levels between groups did not differ significantly, highlighting that digital tools alone are insufficient without cognitive and motivational support. The results align with international research and emphasize the need for dance education to foster artistic freedom, intellectual individualization, and embodied inquiry. Ukrainian HEIs are well-positioned to lead in developing holistic, student-centred approaches to choreography education in the context of post-crisis renewal and digital transformation.