Inspiration to Impulse: Inviting the Spectator to Enter In

Abstract

The thesis project, impulse Present, was a site-specific work presented in two separate public performances. The first performance was on September 22, 2008, as part of the George Mason University’s Fall for the Book Festival, and the second performance was on September 27, 2008 during “Clarendon Day,” a neighborhood street festival in Arlington, VA. This project included a 19-member cast, involved audience participation and used improvisational elements within a loosely choreographed structure. The duration of the work was approximately 30 minutes. In this work, the audience was invited to physically join in spontaneous duets with the dancers. Given the esoteric nature of modern art and the reluctance of many potential audience members to experience it, the predominant question was: “How can I create a work where the audience is invited to be participatory yet doesn’t feel pressured to ‘perform’ when they intended to observe?”