Date of Award
2009
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts Honours
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Faculty
Faculty of Education and Arts
First Supervisor
Maggi Phillips
Abstract
I am interested in investigating the value improvisation holds when placed in a live dance performance context. I am discussing improvisation in terms of it being an individual exploration of one's movement potential to create a personal movement language. Within this, I place focus on the body as a source of knowledge and the embodied movement possibilities that inevitably make up each individual dancer's personal movement language. I am also interested in the audience's perceptions of what defines successful dance and the dancer and audience relationship that forms during the duration of a performance. Can the practice of improvising be put on stage in a live performance context and provide the same appeal through fulfilling the expectations of an audience to the same extent that a rehearsed final product potentially could? Through these components, I want to evaluate whether improvisation can be successful when presented live, whether it can sustain itself in this performance environment and finally if so, what components are necessary to ensure this 'success' occurs so that the improvised work is viewed as an accessible means of performance by its audience.
Recommended Citation
Berry, A. R. (2009). The success and sustainability of improvisation in a live performance context. Edith Cowan University. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/1423