Thread: Should my audience participate? need your opinion!

I have a gig for the New Year Eve celebration for a huge Chinese/Malaysian audience at a big hall. I performed there last year and it was a big success. The audience was great and very pleasant. I got a couple of audience members to participate briefly during my cane dance which they enjoyed.

This year however, the music I have selected doesn't seem to be the kind where I can casually ask audience to dance. So while I like to engage them, I'm not sure if it's a good idea. I am doing a two piece performance as follows:

First set: traditional persian song with zills + strong drum solo
Second set: Paul Dinletir's Entrance of Stars + a sword routine

Do you think I should get them to dance during these? Need your opinion.

What I WILL be doing is to make tons of eye contact and smile. My Persian dance is very cheerful and lots of head, eyes and face gestures + I am making the drum solo fun by gestures and getting a bit closer to audience as appropriate.

Originally Posted by aida21

I have a gig for the New Year Eve celebration for a huge Chinese/Malaysian audience at a big hall. I performed there last year and it was a big success. The audience was great and very pleasant. I got a couple of audience members to participate briefly during my cane dance which they enjoyed.

This year however, the music I have selected doesn't seem to be the kind where I can casually ask audience to dance. So while I like to engage them, I'm not sure if it's a good idea. I am doing a two piece performance as follows:

First set: traditional persian song with zills + strong drum solo
Second set: Paul Dinletir's Entrance of Stars + a sword routine

Do you think I should get them to dance during these? Need your opinion.

What I WILL be doing is to make tons of eye contact and smile. My Persian dance is very cheerful and lots of head, eyes and face gestures + I am making the drum solo fun by gestures and getting a bit closer to audience as appropriate.

Personally, I think you should select music that would allow the audience to participate. Big hall parties on NYE are exactly the sort of occasion where you want more audience participation vs a more staged show.

Originally Posted by norma

Personally, I think you should select music that would allow the audience to participate. Big hall parties on NYE are exactly the sort of occasion where you want more audience participation vs a more staged show.

I totally agree- it's an easy thing to tag on a pop piece at the end of that set, where you can go into fun improv, go round the room, drag a couple of willing victims up to dance, and then get everyone up & having a go.

Originally Posted by norma

Personally, I think you should select music that would allow the audience to participate. Big hall parties on NYE are exactly the sort of occasion where you want more audience participation vs a more staged show.

Yes. I totally agree, that these type of venues, call for audience participation.