With over 30 years in the business of teaching, choreographing, and directing, I know there are many view points on the premise of performance. Some think it is a show for performers to garner applause, flowers, and gifts from the audience. Others think it is a recital for performers to demonstrate one's advancing skills to a group of on-lookers. I, and many colleagues share the view point that performance is an interaction of performers and audience. Performers give of themselves to move viewers from one state of being to another. Audience members are expected to experience and react in their own individual way.
Liking or disliking is irrelevant to the performer, not because he / she is apathetic, but because the performer is seeking a deeper emotional reaction and meaningful change of mood or mind in the viewer. I teach my students that their primary goal as a performer is to impact the audience's current emotional position. Make them laugh, cry, hold their breath in suspense, etc.
In order for students to give so much of themselves in performance, they must give themselves to the lessons of every class and build an arsenal of skills, including a vast vocabulary, articulate quality, and the ability to make various connections with people. The first connections are with their peers in class. Learning to trust classmates requires mutual respect and support. The more trust that is built, the more safe a student feels to risk following an idea. The more risk that is taken, the more that is learned. The more that is learned, the more there is to give an audience.
A performer's dedication to their craft can appear to be selfish and indulgent, but in reality it is to acquire enough to give back to the audience in performance. Some audience members understand that their connection to the performer extends beyond the performance into supporting the continued development of the performer as a fan. When the exchange between performer and audience is mutual and continuous, civilization is renewed.
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