Edited Realities

Dance, alongside other art forms, is undergoing a sociological and philosophical transformation, largely due to the reproducibility and flexibility afforded by the Internet. We are now able to access images and recordings through computers, televisions and mobile phones. We are living in an age of constant visual information, frequently accessed through screens. In our homes, at work and in public, we use screens for information, communication and entertainment. We are also able to experience artworks via a screen; the virtual has become commonplace, re-configuring the role of the actual in contemporary society. This has an impact on the significance of live performance; we increasingly consider the virtual as ‘real’ as the actual. Much has been written about ‘virtuality’, Pierce (1902), Deleuze, (2002) and Zizek, 2004 have all contributed significantly to this field. I am using the terms ‘virtual’ and ‘actual’ in the most rudimentary manner, to distinguish between that which is online, and that which is experienced in shared physical space. This paper raises broad observations, operating as a starting point for further enquiry. The topics raised extend way beyond the limitations of this paper