You are on stage, the lights are blinding, you’re sweating, you are thinking about the music, the technique, the cues, your partners, the story you are telling, and the moment that is being created. Do you ever think about who is in the audience? Or is it more important to you to forget that they are there? Dance Informa’s Tamara Searle takes to the streets, the trains, the malls and the studios and asks, “Who do you dance for?”
“Me. I dance for me.” — Renee, 13, Hampton.
“I love dancing for me, and kind of like just getting all my movement out. But sometimes when my friends come over, I go, ‘Do you wanna dance?’ And sometimes I say, ‘Do you want me to show you something I want to do with this dance?’ Like for inspiration or something. Other times, I dance for my parents and also for my sister.” — Jess, 10, dance student.
“Myself, I think you lose yourself in another dimension when you start dancing. I think it is soul. Mind. body and spirit.” — Mary Jane, 20’s Uni student, Melbourne.
“I dance for my parents and my family, because they like to watch, and for myself because it’s fun.” — Poppy, 11, Melbourne.
“In Australia, no, but when I go to South America, to Brazil, yeah, I dance all the time. The opposite sex say, ‘Would you like to dance, Fred?’ and Fred says, ‘Yes, certainly, why not!’ I wish everybody would dance.” — Fernando, 69, Brazil. Ex-soccer player for Australia, fitter and turner.
“I do ballroom dancing at the star ballroom at Bentleigh when I go to Melbourne occasionally. I don’t dance for anyone in particular; I dance for myself. I like it. It’s good for coordination. It’s good for cardiovascular.” — Des, 50, Victoria.
“Me. I don’t really dance very much, but whenever there’s a party, I like to do that.” — Tinder, Pakistani, IT student.
“I rarely dance. Dancing is something that usually comes after many drinks, unintentionally and for pure stupidity and for a laugh. The audience. The social surroundings. For the bass. I dance for the bass.” — Daniel, 20, student, Geelong.
“I dance for me, and also for my mum and my dad, and my brother. And all my family.” — Clare, 10, dance student.
“Me. I enjoy it. I don’t care if other people don’t enjoy looking at me. I enjoy doing it.” — Skyla, 16, Hampton.
“I don’t dance often, but I dance with my wife.” — Frank, 40’s, engineer.
“Just being muck-about-dancers, we dance just for ourselves.” — Carolyn, 60’s, grandmum, Hobart.
By Tamara Searle of Dance Informa.
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