What is the proper attitude for appreciating dance? This blog post discusses the mindset and approach needed to truly understand and feel dance.
Like other arts, dance is an extroverted activity in that it expects a response. That is, dancers create works intending to convey their own realizations to the audience and share the inspiration they have experienced. At this point, dance approaches not as a simple sequence of movements, but as a profound artistic expression. Dancers use their bodies as tools to convey emotions that cannot be expressed in words, and through this process, artistic communication occurs. Dance transcends the limitations of language, expressing universal human emotions and experiences through visual language. This is one reason dance is loved worldwide, crossing cultural and linguistic barriers.
How does this communication occur? On stage, the dancer presents the movements they have created with their body to the audience. These movements must inherently carry emotional meaning and life experience. However, life experiences are not realistically reproduced. For example, when a dancer expresses the pain of separation, they do not literally show actions like waving hands, shedding tears, or embracing an imaginary figure. Instead, they present it through abstracted bodily forms. These abstracted movements stimulate the audience’s imagination, allowing diverse interpretations based on individual experiences. Moreover, the dancer’s physical expression reflects the complexity of emotion, conveying feelings beyond simple sadness. This is one of dance’s unique charms.
The dancer expects the audience to transcend their role as mere spectators and participate in the movements unfolding before them. Though outwardly appearing to sit quietly in their seats, the dancer believes the audience will dance along, using their entire muscular system in unison. They hope to awaken in the audience the same emotional associations that initially moved the dancer themselves. Only when the audience expresses and shares their own emotions by following the dancer’s movements does dance truly become a completed art of communication. This interaction makes each moment of dance more special and enables the experience of the audience and dancer becoming one.
However, merely stimulating the audience’s emotions cannot be the dancer’s sole goal. He strives to alter the audience’s preexisting feelings toward a subject, expand their experience, and free them from habitual responses. This allows them to perceive and experience reality anew. To achieve this goal, the dancer primarily utilizes movement but also employs other elements like stage backgrounds and music that can trigger the audience’s emotional associations. Lighting and costumes also play crucial roles, adding depth to the message the dancer seeks to convey. The dancer’s costume is often so closely integrated that it feels like an extension of the movement itself, serving as a vital element in completing the dance’s overall aesthetic.
How should the audience respond to these expectations and efforts of the dancer? When encountering an artwork, most audiences naturally form expectations about the piece. They form expectations about what the work might be like based on past aesthetic experiences or knowledge, information about the artist and the piece, and so on. However, in the case of dance, these expectations often mislead the appreciation of the work. This is because the audience cannot immerse themselves in the dancer’s movements themselves. While appreciating dance, some audience members might focus only on one particular aspect, such as the shapes traced by the dancer’s arm movements or the background music. Of course, even in this case, the audience is using sensory organs like sight or hearing, but it cannot be said that they are fully seeing the dance.
So, how can one fully see dance? In a word, it is to become the dancer oneself. In this regard, a short story about a farmer is worth referencing. A farmer lost his horse. As a result, he was able to find his horse. If the audience adopts the same approach as this farmer, they will surely discover what the dancer intends to convey. Only by approaching dance in this manner can one truly perceive it as art. Furthermore, continuous learning and understanding about how to view dance are essential. By studying the dancer’s intentions and the work’s background, and by experiencing diverse dance pieces, one can deepen their appreciation of dance. Studying the history of dance and experiencing diverse dance styles is also crucial. This provides audiences with opportunities to understand and enjoy dance more profoundly.
Dance is an art form intimately connected to our daily lives. Each movement expressed by a dancer embodies human nature, emotions, and life philosophies. Therefore, appreciating dance transcends mere observation; it is also a process of reflecting on and gaining new insights into our own lives. When audiences engage with dance through this process, it transcends mere artistic expression and deeply permeates our lives. Furthermore, through dance, audiences gain opportunities to explore their own inner selves and discover new emotions. This is one of the unique aspects that distinguishes dance from other art forms. Dance is not merely movement; it is born at the intersection where life and art meet.
