Dance is a consensual art form. The bees do it when they have something to celebrate or to communicate. Some bacteria do it when enough of them show up and they all begin to glow in neon colors. Authentic Movement dancers come together as a group, close their eyes and dance to their hearts content.
When an audience enters the picture, consensual dance shows itself in full force. Avante Guard dancers agree with their audience that they have free reign to explore and anything goes. Not anything, of course.
There is mutual consent between dancer and audience on the worlds they are exploring together. The audience is agreeing to go to the dancer’s world no matter how surprising, disgusting or even boring it might be.
Audience and dancer are on a consensual journey. They are exploring a world together. For some they venture into unknown space, for others they are exploring the extremes of a specific form whether it be Ballet, Rumba, or Contemporary.
Dancer and audience then become co-creators as the dancer explores and the audience responds by engaging or going numb. When the audience can taste every moment like a fine meal they are on the edge of their seats experiencing anticipation and delight along with the dancers. It is at these times that the dancer brings all of their energy and imagination to meet the audience attention and excitement.
The level of expertise and prowess that is acceptable is also by mutual consent. The parents are ecstatic with a different level of skill for their four year old than for a teen youth troupe. Beginning ballroom dancers are appreciated for their level of skill in the same way a novice bowler would be encouraged at the bowling alley.
For all dancers, they are making a huge commitment just getting on the stage. As audience we pay the price, we commit our full attention, and we applaud because we are there to build a world with them.
As audience we are consenting to be present during this demanding journey that we all face. We are committing to join in a world of hope where dancers choose every moment to meet their own determination and passion. And we the audience are shaping the dancer’s work as our attention turns on or turns off. Either way is a learning for the performer as long as we consent to stay the course of the journey.