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DAVID BENTLEY'S WEEKLY COLUMN |
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ON PERFORMING
I enjoy live performance, and I live in a community that provides an abundance of it. From talent shows to open mic nights, from rank amateurs to card-carrying professionals, I love interacting with live performers. They make themselves vulnerable by the very act of performing while my vulnerability takes the form of submission to their performance. We become the exhibitionist and the voyeur in a symbiotic relationship. Performers are given the opportunity to express parts of themselves in their performances that they do not always choose to express in daily life. They are allowed to try on various masks and traits to see how they fit. They experiment with their performances looking for that special magic that comes to those who work for it. Some will recreate the performance of other performers by imitating those who have gone before them. Others will be themselves and remain predictable no matter what the role in which they are cast. The really good performers, however, explore their roles as well as their own creativity. Eventually they are able to feel and express the same emotions that the author or composer felt when writing the script or score, even when the character created is not the same as the writer envisioned. They step outside of themselves and become a reflection of someone or something else while fitting in cohesively with the rest of the ensemble in which they perform. They do not attempt to stand alone or steal the spotlight. They give meaning to the words and notes and actions of themselves and others, and then pass that insight on to those of us in the audience. In reality, we are all performers. We get to experiment with our performances each and every day. Whether we create new roles, gain insight from them, and share that with others is up to us.
© 2006 David Bentley David Bentley, M.Ed. & Personal Coach, coaches clients through the game of life, helping them find balance, clarity of direction, and purpose in an ever-changing world. You may contact him at 360.378.8436 by e-mail at david@coachbentley.com or visit his Web site: www.coachbentley.com |
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SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 |
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