Exploring the possibility of audience participation: How performers invite audience to performance.Through the creation process for experimental performance, Landmess / Maya Takeda (2022)

This research was intended to investigate how dancers (performers) are capable of inviting audiences to the performance and explore the possibility to make collaborative work with them from the perspective of the contemporary dance fields. Concretely, through my practice to place my experience in relation to other artist experience and/or make solo performance with referring to similar practice such as audience research through way of making and reflection. Also, this research evolved through my practice, the application of the method from theory which relates to audience participation, and comparison of both methods of inquiry into each other. From the above, I analysed the relationship between audience and performer through the research on aesthetics of the invitation of audience participation approach and research based on the practice to embody the perspectives and create dance performance. The research methods included reflective journaling, performances, video and photo documentation, audience’s feedback and literature review. I initiated a practice as a research approach, first exploring by myself and mainly referring to similar works, then I made experimental performance during my master’s course work. The research expanded to a relational and I worked with a musician and a scenographer through studio based practices. A live performance of Landmess was presented to an audience in July 2022, and I reflect on the practice developed, as well as the process and sharing of Landmess in this thesis. Also, I analysed the outcomes based on the rehearsal reflections with collaborators, audience feedback, and my own interpretation of these findings.