Dance in Australia
Dance is prohibited by many factors from gaining acceptance in mainstream Australian sporting culture. A main factor is the fact that spectatorship is low. Without spectatorship it is nearly impossible for a sport to grow in Australia. Australians want to watch exciting sports where competitors are putting their lives on the line and getting injured. This reflects Australian society today, Aussies are very masculine, in the sense that they love the blood and guts, the love car racing because of the sounds that the cars make etc. When spectators go out to watch a sport they go to enjoy it, to have fun. Dance does not have the same qualities that other sports have. Football is exciting because, it is intense, competitive and unpredictable. There are goals that can be scored any time throughout the 90 minutes, some can be fantastic goals, and there are skilful moves that a player can perform. Cricket has wickets, spectacular catches, sixes and fours, all keep the spectators on the edge of their seats. Dance has none of this, it isn't very competitive, intense, and it is very predictable. The dancers have set dances to perform, and it is only when they make a mistake that it is unpredictable, which doesn't happen very often. There
Again dance doesn't have these features that can attract the viewers. The Australian natural masculinity can be contributed to the country originally being a penal colony. The recently released review of the subsidised dance sector commissioned by the Australia Council's Dance Board paints a dire picture of professional dance. Evidence to support that dance in Australia has many barriers to hurdle is seen in this article in The Age newspaper, 22nd February 2000. Dance has an endless capacity to adapt and reinvent itself, but artists are exhausted and frustrated at the difficulty of sustaining their practice. Dance is used constantly in brochures for arts festivals, tourism promotions and advertising. Sports such as Rugby Union, Rugby League, Boxing, and even Cricket were seen as masculine sports, and were well followed. Without adequate resourcing, it is difficult for artists to create substantial work that will have audience appeal, and so the cycle endlessly repeats itself. On the international scene, our artists make a big impact. Back in the 17th century through to the 20th Century dance was a highly participated hobby, at dinners and events, everyone got up and danced. The implications of the report are that Australia' s dance sector is anorexic, a result of chronic under-funding and poorly coordinated strategies. In terms of audience development, dance is caught in the proverbial chicken and egg situation: independent artists and small organisations do not have the wherewithal to engage in audience development, resulting in static or declining demand. For this reason alone they deserve greater investment. There is no question that, without significant strategic action and increased resources, the board is faced with an impossible equation.
Common topics in this essay:
Australia Australians,
Melbourne Festival,
Dance Australia,
Dance Board,
Culture Boxing,
,
Australia Women,
Australian Football,
Ballroom Dancing,
Boxing Cricket,
dance australia,
union rugby league,
australian society,
independent artists,
societal culture,
spectators watch,
close impossible,
sports football,
masculine sports,
rugby union rugby,
australian societal culture,
expand spectatorship,
rugby union,
|
Acceptance Essays
