Dance Appreciation: Performance Environments

Traditional Theatre Setup

A proscenium stage is commonly found in standard theatres and presents a framed view of the performance to the audience. The front of the stage, invisible to the viewing point, is typically known as the “fourth wall,” allowing the performers to create the illusion they are in a different world.
The audience sitting arrangement is usually on a rake, facilitating clear visibility for all audience member regardless of their location.
Lighting rigs and sound systems are established features of this environment, allowing for complex and precisely timed technical effects.

Site-Specific Performances

Site-specific dances are designed to be performed in non-traditional dance environments. This might include outdoor spaces like parks or can be inside buildings like museums or shopping centres.
The design of the set is dictated by the existing locale, and creative use of this can have unique effects on the performance.
Audience positioning can be more flexible in site-specific performances, perhaps surrounding the dancers or following them as they move through different locations.

Non-Proscenium Spaces

This includes arenas, or “in-the-round” theatres, where audiences watch the performance from all sides. Choreography for this type of stage must consider that the audience has a 360° view.
Dance studios or black box theatres, offering a more intimate setting, fall under this category.
The lighting arrangements could be less complex in this type of environment as the audience is closer to the performance.

Other Performance Environments

Dance performances can also be adapted for the camera. This might be for a feature-length dance film, a music video or for recording a live dance performance.
Digital and virtual platforms for performance have also been increasingly used, where the dance is live-streamed or recorded for audiences to watch online. The camera angles and editing can greatly affect the aesthetics of the performance.

Remember: Each environment presents a unique set of factors that dancers, choreographers, and producers must consider when planning and executing a dance performance.