Earlier this evening, I had the privilege to watch and host Misnomer Dance Theater’s live broadcast of Being Together on Dance Advantage Interactive. It was truly an event and provided an opportunity for many viewers to “be together,” gathering to watch dance from their prospective parts of the world. The online audience outnumbered the capacity of the Joyce SoHo where the dancers performed, providing both greater exposure for the dance company (many of the online audience were unfamiliar with their work) and an opportunity to expose even young online viewers (kids as young as seven and eight years old tuned in for the show) to dance that they may never have seen otherwise. In addition to simply viewing the performance, online audience members were able to participate in a live chat, sharing their thoughts and general excitement over the opportunity to engage in such an event.
Aside from some technical difficulties during the last half of the performance, the video feed, camera work, and sound were of good quality. The experience was altogether different from attending a live performance in the traditional manner. I didn’t dress up, I didn’t have to find a place to park, I didn’t have to find a babysitter, and people, who could talk throughout the entire performance, came and left when they wanted! I look forward to a future in which more dance companies take their show online even if they can’t take it on the road.
As for the dancing, Misnomer’s performance was excellent. With a mix of Greg Brown, Chet Baker, and others, the musical score for Too Late Tulip was very enjoyable, as was the dancing and partnering work. As a fan of improvisation (especially in performance), I was particularly fond of Rock.Paper.Flock., details of which are written about here and here. I was a bit distracted from the final work Zipper because of a technical glitch that resulted in an obstructed view of the dancers, however I will have another chance to see the work at Misnomer’s website once the archived footage is posted. I encourage you to check it out if you were not able to see the performance live tonight. Teachers, please share this with your students and encourage them to visit as well! It is my understanding that the footage will be available soon and remain through December 31st.
Thanks to those of you that joined me at DA Interactive!
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
