For me, this is when the act of watching transforms into the act of witnessing.To witness something implies a responsiveness, the response/ability of the viewer toward the performer. It is radically different from what we might call the ‘consuming’ gaze that says ‘here, you entertain me, I bought a ticket, and I’m going to sit back and watch.’ This traditional gaze doesn’t want to get involved, doesn’t want to give anything back.

For me, this is when the act of watching transforms into the act of witnessing.To witness something implies a responsiveness, the response/ability of the viewer toward the performer. It is radically different from what we might call the ‘consuming’ gaze that says ‘here, you entertain me, I bought a ticket, and I’m going to sit back and watch.’ This traditional gaze doesn’t want to get involved, doesn’t want to give anything back.

– Ann Cooper Albright –

Choreographing Difference: Body and Identity in Contemporary Dance

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