Is the Internet and Technology the Enemy of Live Performance?
By
Doug Fox
Are live dance performances increasingly threatened by new developments on the technology and Internet front?
With high-definition TV programs, wide-screen TVs and surround-sound audio, and unlimited content available via the the Internet, how do dancers compete?
Or, how can dancers embrace these developments to reach larger audiences through different channels (live and online/TV)?
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Is the Internet and Technology the Enemy of Live Performance?:
Speaking historically, economically, and culturally, yes, technology and media have beaten out and diminished live performance to a huge degree. See my blog entry "Is it live or is it videodance?" on Move the Frame: http://greatdance.com/movetheframe/2007/10/is-it-live-or-is-it-videodance.php
In this post I talk about the theories of Philip Auslander, a performance studies professor at Georgia Tech, who wrote a book called "Liveness: Performance in a Mediatized Culture." He contends that new media technologies have consistently risen up and crowded out older forms of media, diminishing their stake in cultural capital. First it was film in the early 20th Century, then TV in the mid-20th Century, now the internet and soon mobile technology will call the shots. This isn't to say that older forms of media or live performance will disappear, but you consistently see that producers of content in these older forms have to modify their content to fit the newer formats. For instance with the rise of video technology and TV you saw much more multi-media performance with video projections. Now in the internet age, it seems that performing artists need to have a presence in this new platform if they are to continue to attract new audiences. It's kind of the law of evolution. We must adapt.
The good news is that we're seeing the interactivity of the internet bringing people back to the live experience, which was always more interactive than film or tv viewing. This has become apparent mostly in the music industry, with live concert touring revenue superceding sales of recordings. The recordings are still important though, you need them to hook audiences to come to the shows, but the money is made off the ticket sales. Dance needs the recordings as well, in the form of web videos, blogs, podcasts, you name it, in order to hook today's audiences. The more interactive, transparent and inviting you can be, the better.