Philosophy Faculty Publications
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publication Date
2017
Publication Source
Aesthetics: A Reader in Philosophy of the Arts
Abstract
Dance can be appreciated from all sorts of perspectives: For instance, by the dancer while dancing, by the choreographer while watching in the wings, by the musician in the orchestra pit who accompanies the dance, or by the loved-one of a dancer who watches while hoping that the dancer performs well and avoids injury. This essay will consider what it takes to appreciate dance from the perspective of a seated, non-moving audience member. A dance appreciator in this position is typically someone who can hear and see, who can feel vibrations of sound through their skin, and who can have other human, kinaesthetic responses and perceptions as well as the cognitive ability to process them. This appreciator is also someone who is a person with a history that may or may not include experiences of dance that have conditioned his or her responses to watching dance. Based on both this experience, and the skill and capacity to focus, pay attention, make judgments, and convey those judgments, there are different types and levels of audience appreciation. This essay will consider three: 1. Innocent Eye Appreciation, 2. Dance-Trained Appreciation, and 3. Critical Appreciation.
Inclusive pages
347-350
ISBN/ISSN
978-1138235878
Document Version
Postprint
Copyright
Copyright © 2018, Taylor and Francis
Publisher
Routledge
Place of Publication
New York, NY
Edition
4th Edition
eCommons Citation
Bresnahan, Aili W., "Appreciating Dance: The View from the Audience" (2017). Philosophy Faculty Publications. 174.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/phl_fac_pub/174
Comments
The chapter available for download is the author's accepted manuscript, provided in compliance with the publisher's policy on self-archiving. Permission documentation is on file. To view the published version, see the publisher's website or visit an academic library.
Citation information: "Dance Appreciation: The View from the Audience." In Aesthetics: A Reader in the Philosophy of the Arts, 4th edition, 347-350, edited by David Goldblatt, Lee Brown, and Stephanie Patridge. New York: Routledge, 2017.