The Performer and the Audience

This post is from Rose Shields. Rose is a graduate of the UNCSA School of Dance and is a third-year member of Open Dream Ensemble.

We performed Peril on the Red Planet at 2 schools last Friday, and I must say, it's so nice to be doing the show in front of such an attentive audience. There is nothing more rewarding for a performer than to have the audience engaged in the very creation that was made for them. Many people may know that it takes the actors, musicians, and dancers to bring a director/writer's story to life, but after rehearsing for days in a room with just us performers and our director, I realized that that was only half true. Once we took the show to the schools, I was reminded that the other half of the show lies in the presence of an audience, the listeners. What is a book without a reader, and what is a song without someone to hear it? The audience's thoughts and reactions help fashion each performance we do into an exciting and unique experience. It makes all the difference in world when you have not just your art and ideas but also people to share it with. That in mind, I look forward to this week's performances and the touring to come!