Rhythmical coordination of performers and audience in partner dance: delineating improvised and choreographed interaction

Abstract

This paper explores rhythm in social interaction by analysing how partnerdancers and audience members move together during a performance. Theanalysis draws an empirical distinction between choreographed andimprovised movements by tracking the ways participants deal with variationsin the projectability and contingencies of upcoming movements. A detailedspecification of temporal patterns and relationships between rhythms showshow different rhythms are used as interactional resources. Systematicdisruptions to their rhythmical clapping shows how audience members workwith dancers to sustain the accountability and relevance of mutualcoordination. This reveals how dancers initiate, sustain and completedistinct phases of spontaneous movement as embodied social action.

The Role of Live Visuals in Audience Understanding of Electronic Music Performances

“…The research project "Watching Dance: Kinesthetic Empathy" [31] combined both qualitative audience methods and neurophysiological research to analyze how spectators respond to, and identify with, dance during and after the performance. Albert [1] analyzed how dancers and audience members react to choreographed and improvised movements in social dance by using conversation and video analysis. In their exploration of the tele-presence and performing arts convergence, Cesar et al [7] used galvanic skin response sensors to analyze the engagement of theatre remote audiences, while Radbourne et al [29] conducted focus groups to measure quality in theatrical works and live music concerts with an emphasis on potential reattendance.…”

Temporal procedures of mutual alignment and synchronization in collaborative meaning-making activities in a dance rehearsal

“…However, temporal alignment practices have not been specifically addressed until now. One exception is Albert's (2015) study on the rhythmic coordination of performers and audiences in partner dance, which utilized beats as units of temporal alignment. While this hints at temporal synchronization, the synchronization practices of multimodal gestalts in terms of form, intensity, and speed cannot be described by temporal dimensions alone.…”

Pathways to Live Visuals in Dance Performances: a Quantitative Audience Study

“…Regarding dance, the research project "Watching Dance: Kinesthetic Empathy" [17] combined qualitative methods and neurophysiological research to analyze how spectators respond to dance, both during and after the performance. Albert [18] studied how dancers and audience members react to movement in social dance (both improvised and choreographed) by using conversation and video analysis. The understanding of movement qualities by audiences was the focus of a study by Mentis and Johansson, relying on qualitative methods and analysis of recorded material [19].…”