CHUNKY MOVE

1
CHUNKY MOVE

• Wanted Survey
• Report of Findings
• Prepared by
• Open Mind Research Group
• March 2002

2
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY

• Methodology
• A cover letter and self-completion survey were
  mailed to members of Ausdance and a limited
  number of experts (including artistic
  directors, executive producers, rehearsal
  directors, dancers, choreographers and dance
  critics).
• A total of 33 questions (mostly multiple choice
  format) about various aspects of the dance
  performance were included in the questionnaire.
• Returned questionnaires were then computerised
  and a set of cross-tabulations were produced (see
  appendix).
• This report provides a summary of the responses.
  The overall response for the total sample are
  noted, as well as any differences between
  sub-groups in the sample, including
• Gender
• Age group
• Occupation
• Home location.
• Significant differences between the sub-groups
  and the average or overall response are noted.
  Where relevant, differences between sub-groups
  are also described.

• Introduction
• Chunky Move is currently developing a new work,
  tentatively titled Wanted.
• In developing the thematic concept for this work,
  Chunky Moves Artistic Director, Gideon
  Obarzanek, became interested in The Most Wanted
  Painting in America. This was produced by
  Russian researchers after conducting a survey of
  1001 Americans asking about their likes and
  dislikes in terms of painting composition,
  colours, styles and so on. This information was
  then used to produce the painting.
• Utilising this precedent, Chunky Move wished to
  undertake a similar survey to reveal the most
  wanted dance work in Australia.
• To inform the development of Wanted, a survey of
  people with an interest in and who attend dance
  performances was conducted to measure interest in
  various aspects of the dance performance,
  including the music, venue, dancers, themes and
  so on. This information could then be used to
  give an overview of preferences and to explore
  differences in preferences between sub-groups.

3
SAMPLE

• Achieved sample
• A total sample of n 632 surveys was achieved,
  including 6 surveys completed by the experts.
• Sample by age
• Age group n
• 15 25 years 157 25
• 26 35 years 176 28
• 36 45 years 156 25
• 46 55 years 81 13
• 56 years 61 10
• Sample by occupation
• Occupation n
• Teachers 321 51
• Dancers 150 24
• Students 82 13
• White collar 29 5
• Retired/home duties 31 5
• Other 19 3

• Sample by gender
• Gender n
• Females 541 86
• Males 91 14
• Sample by location
• State/Territory n
• Victoria 147 23
• New South Wales 116 18
• Western Australia 88 14
• Australian Capital
• Territory 70 11
• South Australia 68 11
• Queensland 68 11
• Tasmania 36 6

4
SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES
5
SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES

• Summary overall (cont)
• The majority did not mind if the music was
  original or published of those who expressed an
  opinion, original was more popular.
• A mix of volumes was the most common preference
  for volume, followed by medium volume.
• Most respondents did not mind if the costumes
  were loose or tight or revealing or modest. Most
  preferred a mix of designs, although simple and
  unassuming costumes were more popular than highly
  detailed costumes.
• With regard to level of set design, respondents
  were split between minimal design and saying that
  it does not matter. Very few wanted a lot of film
  or video projection, although one in two wanted
  some projection.
• Blue and red were the most popular colours for
  lighting, although most said that it did not
  matter.
• When it came to humour in the performance, the
  most common preference was for a little humour.
  Some wanted a highly intellectually stimulating
  performance, while others preferred a mildly
  stimulating performance.
• The majority of respondents wanted a performance
  that mixes the pace.

• Summary of responses overall
• The majority do not mind if the performance was a
  full evening or mixed of those who have a
  preference, it tends to be for a mixed program.
• One in two respondents do not mind where the
  performance was held the strongest preference
  was for a theatre venue.
• Most respondents want to be not too close to
  the performance, or in the middle of the
  audience.
• Whether the dancers are male or female did not
  matter for the majority others preferred that
  the performance had half male and half female
  dancers.
• Of music that is ambient, rhythmic,
  discordant/atonal, or lyrical/melodic,
  respondents preferred rhythmic, followed by
  lyrical/melodic music.
• Two in three respondents preferred all styles of
  music contemporary classical was the strongest
  single preference.
• One in two preferred live music, with most others
  saying that it doesnt matter if it is live or
  recorded.
• With respect to spoken word, the most common
  preference was for a little spoken word in the
  performance.

6
SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES

• Summary of differences by men and women
• Women were more likely than men
• To prefer to be not too close to the
  performance
• To say that it does not matter if the music is
  published or an original
• To prefer modest costumes and a mix of highly
  designed and simple costumes
• To prefer a performance that is a little
  humourous
• To prefer mostly dance rather than other elements
  in the performance.
• Men were more likely than women
• To prefer classical music
• To prefer revealing costumes
• To prefer highly designed and detailed costumes
• To prefer a performance that is highly
  intellectually stimulating (women prefer a mildly
  stimulating performance)
• To tend to prefer dancers to be more engaged with
  the audience
• To be less interested in program notes
• To give higher ratings to diagonal and straight
  choreographic structures.

• Summary of responses overall (cont)
• Most wanted the dancers to have some engagement
  with the audience, either very or slightly
  engaged.
• Most wanted a mix of narrative and abstract works
  and a very or slightly dramatic performance. One
  in two wanted to be greatly surprised by the
  dance performance.
• The majority wanted the performance to have a
  high amount of dance compared to other forms of
  performance and for contemporary dance to explore
  a mix of themes, including, in particular, the
  human condition and the joy of life.
• Very few wanted a performance that was high in
  improvisation most wanted either a mix or no
  improvisation.
• The majority wanted some program notes,
  although one in four wanted detailed notes.
• The most popular choreographic structures are
  unison movement and random patterns. Expressive,
  athletic and sensual are the most popular
  movement qualities. Moving across space,
  partnering and jumps were given the highest
  ratings of the types of movements.

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SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES

• Summary of differences by age group (cont)
• Younger respondents were more likely (cont)
• To be interested in the level of engagement of
  the dancers with the audience
• To prefer a performance that is at least slightly
  dramatic and a performance that has the capacity
  to greatly surprise.
• To prefer more improvisation than older
  respondents
• Older respondents (particularly those over 56
  years) were more likely
• To prefer lyrical/melodic music
• To show a preference for contemporary classical
  or classical music
• To prefer live music
• To prefer word spoken by an actor only
  (particularly those in the 46 55 age group)
• To say that the lighting colours do not matter
• To prefer that they have a good idea about what
  they will see in the performance (rather than
  being surprised)
• To prefer detailed program notes

• Summary of differences by age group
• Younger respondents (particularly those under 25)
  were more likely
• To prefer a specific venue, rather than say it
  does not matter where the performance is held
• To prefer the dance to have half male and half
  female dancers (older respondents were more
  likely to say that it does not matter)
• To prefer rhythmic music as well as
  techno/beat/dance music
• To prefer recorded music and an original
  composition
• To prefer loud music
• To prefer tight but modest costumes although
  they were more likely to prefer a mix of levels
  of design
• To be more interested in video or film
  projection
• To specify that they preferred some humour in the
  performance (older respondents were more likely
  to say that it does not matter)
• To prefer an intellectually stimulating
  performance and to want dancers that have very
  expressive faces

8
SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES

• Summary of differences by location
• Respondents from Tasmania were more likely to
• Prefer that the performance has both men and
  women dancers
• Prefer modest costumes and minimal set design
• Be interested in the level of engagement with the
  audience
• Want less detailed program notes.
• Respondents from the Northern Territory were more
  likely to
• Say that it does not matter if the dancers are
  male or female
• Prefer rhythmic music and music that is
  techno/beat/dance
• Prefer loose costumes and a highly improvised
  performance.
• Respondents from Western Australia were more
  likely to
• Prefer a mixed program rather than full evening
• Prefer venues other than the theatre.

• Summary of differences by occupation
• Students were more likely to
• Nominate that they wanted half male and half
  female dancers in the performance
• Prefer recorded music than other groups
• Prefer modest costumes that are highly designed
  and detailed
• Be interested in video projection and narrative
  with a familiar story than other groups
• Want some humour and dramatisation in the
  performance
• Prefer the dancers to have expressive faces and
  to be engaged with the audience.
• White collar workers were more likely to
• Prefer a full evening program
• Prefer medium volumed music, rather than a
  combination of volumes.
• Teachers and dancers were more likely to
• Say that the style of music does not matter
• Prefer detailed program notes.
• Retirees/non-workers were more likely to
• Not want to be greatly surprised by the
  performance.

9
SUMMARY OF PREFERENCES

• Summary of differences by location (cont)
• Respondents from the Australian Capital Territory
  were more likely to
• Prefer a full evening program, in a theatre
  venue
• Prefer no spoken word or film or video projection
  during the performance
• Say that it does not matter if the dancers are
  engaged with the audience
• Prefer detailed program notes
• Respondents from South Australia were more likely
  to
• Prefer a mix of improvisation and no
  improvisation in the performance
• Respondents from Queensland were more likely to
• Prefer rhythmic music.
• Respondents from Victoria were more likely to
• Prefer to be very close to the performance
• Prefer styles other than rhythmic music.

10
SURVEY FINDINGS
11
PROGRAM PREFERENCES
Full evening vs mixed program

• Gender
• Preferences for a full or mixed evening did not
  vary between men and women the majority did not
  mind.
• Age group
• Similarly, preferences for a mixed or full
  program did not vary by age group.
• Occupation
• White collar workers were more likely to prefer a
  full evening work (31) than the average (13).
• Home location
• Respondents from the Australian Capital Territory
  were more likely to prefer a full evening program
  (24) than respondents from other states (13).
• Respondents from Western Australia were more
  likely to prefer a mixed program (43) than the
  average response (31).

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (56) did not mind if
  the performance was a full evening or mixed.
• Of the two choices, a mixed program tended to be
  preferred (31) over a full evening (13).

12
VENUE PREFERENCES
Preferred venue

• Gender
• There were no differences between men and women
  in preferences for a venue.
• Age group
• Younger respondents (under 25 years) were more
  likely to prefer a venue and were thus less
  likely to say that it did not matter (39
  compared to 51) although they did not
  specifically prefer a particular venue more than
  the older respondents.
• Occupation
• There were no differences by occupation in
  preferences for a venue.
• Home location
• Respondents in Western Australia were less likely
  to prefer a theatre (20) compared to other
  locations (36).
• Respondents in the ACT were more likely to prefer
  a theatre venue (56) and less likely to say that
  it does not matter (36 compared to an average of
  51).

• Overall
• One in two respondents indicated that the venue
  does not matter (51).
• Among those who expressed a preference, most
  preferred a theatre (36) followed by a
  non-traditional venue (10). Only 3 preferred
  the outdoors.

13
DISTANCE FROM PERFORMANCE
Preferred distance from the performance

• Gender
• Approximately one in five men (22) and women
  (20) prefer to be very close to the
  performance however, more women prefer to be
  not too close (71) compared to men (60).
• Age group
• There were no differences for this aspect by age
  group.
• Occupation
• There were no differences in preferences for
  distance from the performance by occupation.
• Home location
• In comparison to respondents from New South
  Wales, Victorians prefer to be very close to
  the performance (27 of Victorians, compared to
  16 for NSW), whereas New South Wales respondents
  were more likely to prefer to be not too close
  (75 compared to 63 of Victorians).

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (71) prefer to be
  not too close to the performance, or in the
  middle of the audience.
• One in five respondents (20) wanted to be very
  close to the performance, while only 2 wanted
  to be distant.

14
DANCER PREFERENCES
Preferred dancers

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences for
  dancers between men and women.
• Age group
• Younger respondents (aged 15 25 years) were
  more likely to prefer the performance to have
  half male and half female dancers (46), while
  older respondents were more likely to say that it
  did not matter (75).
• Occupation
• Students were more likely to nominate that they
  prefer a performance to have half male and half
  female dancers (54) than other groups (33).
• Home location
• Tasmanians were more likely to prefer the
  performance to have half male and half female
  dancers (50) compared to the average response
  (33).
• Respondents from the Northern Territory tended to
  say that it did not matter (73), particularly
  when compared to respondents from the ACT (49)
  and Tasmania (44).

• Overall
• The majority indicated that it did not matter if
  the dancers were predominantly male or female
  (59).
• Those who did have a preference generally wanted
  a performance that has half male and half female
  dancers (34).
• Very few (less than 4) wanted the performance to
  have predominantly or exclusively men or women.

15
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Ambient, lyrical/melodic, rhythmic or
discordant/atonal music

• Gender
• Men and women gave similar preferences for
  ambient, rhythmic, discordant/atonal or
  lyrical/melodic music.
• Age group
• Younger members of the audience (15 to 25 year
  olds) are more likely to prefer rhythmic music
  (44) than average (30).
• Lyrical/melodic music is more popular among the
  over 45s (38) than the average preference
  (21).
• Occupation
• Teachers and dancers are more likely to say that
  the this doesnt matter (47) compared to other
  occupation groups (32).
• Home location
• Rhythmic music was less popular in Victoria (26)
  and more popular in Queensland (47) and the
  Northern Territory (58).
• Respondents in the ACT were more less likely to
  say that it doesnt matter (26) compared to
  other states (average 43).

• Overall
• The most common preference was for music that is
  rhythmic (35), followed by lyrical or melodic
  (24).
• Very few prefered discordant/atonal (6) or
  ambient music (9)
• One in three (36) did not mind whether the music
  was discordant/atonal, lyrical/melodic, rhythmic
  or ambient.

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MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Style of music

• Gender
• Men were more likely to prefer classical music
  (15) compared to women (8).
• Age group
• Respondents aged 56 plus showed a higher
  preference for contemporary classical (31
  compared to the average of 20) and classical
  music (20 compared to 9 overall).
• Younger respondents (15 25 years) were more
  interested in techno/beat/dance music (19) than
  the overall preference (10).
• Occupation
• Preferences for styles did not vary by
  occupation.
• Home location
• Respondents in the Northern Territory had a
  higher preference for techno/beat/dance music
  (30) than the overall result (10).

• Overall
• Two in three respondents (66) preferred all of
  the styles of music listed contemporary
  classical was the strongest single preference
  nominated (20).
• Very few choose electronica (4) and silence (4)
  above the other options.

17
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Live or recorded music

• Gender
• There were no differences in the preferences for
  live or recorded music between men and women.
• Age group
• Respondents aged 56 years plus were more likely
  to prefer live music (56) compared to the
  overall response (46).
• Younger respondents (aged 15 25 years) showed a
  higher preference for recorded music (15) than
  other age groups (average of 7).
• Occupation
• Students were more likely to prefer recorded
  music (18) compared to other occupational groups
  (7).
• Home location
• There were no differences in preferences by
  location for live or recorded music.

• Overall
• Nearly half of the respondents indicated that
  they preferred live music (46).
• Very few (7) preferred recorded music, with 47
  saying that it doesnt matter.

18
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Amount of spoken word

• Gender
• There were no differences between men and women
  for the amount of spoken word in the performance.
  
• Age group
• Respondents aged 46 to 55 years were more likely
  than other respondents to prefer only words
  spoken by an actor, not a dancer (21 compared
  to an overall 12).
• Occupation
• There were no differences in preferences in this
  area for occupation.
• Home location
• Respondents in the ACT were less likely to prefer
  little spoken word (26 compared to the overall
  of 38) and were more likely to prefer no spoken
  word (29 compared to 16).

• Overall
• Compared to other preferences, fewer people
  (31)chose doesnt matter for spoken word.
• The most common preference was for a little
  spoken word (38) very few (3) wanted much
  spoken word. Approximately two in ten (16)
  wanted no spoken word.
• Only one in ten (12) preferred only words
  spoken by an actor, not a dancer.

19
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Original or published composition

• Gender
• Women were more likely to say that it does not
  matter if the music is an original or published
  composition (74) compared to men (64).
• Age group
• Respondents aged 56 years plus were less likely
  (8) than other groups (21) to prefer an
  original composition.
• Occupation
• There were no differences in preferences by
  occupation.
• Home location
• There were no difference in preferences by home
  location.

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (73) indicated that
  they did not mind if the music was an original or
  previously published composition.
• Of those who did have a preference, most
  preferred an original (21) over published (6)
  composition.

20
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Music volume

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences for
  music volume between men and women.
• Age group
• Younger respondents (18 of 15 25 year olds)
  are more likely to prefer loud music,
  particularly compared to respondents aged 56
  years plus (2).
• Respondents 56 years plus were more interested in
  medium music (56) compared to other groups
  (overall preference 27).
• Occupation
• White collar workers tended to prefer medium
  volumed music (59 compared to the average of
  27), rather than a combination (28 compared to
  55).
• Home location
• Across the states, the most common preference was
  for a combination of volumes.

• Overall
• Over half (55) prefer a mix of volumes for the
  music the next most common preference is for a
  medium volume (27). Very few prefer soft music
  (2) or say that it doesnt matter (6).

21
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN PREFERENCES
Tight or loose costumes

• Gender
• There were no difference between men and women
  for tight or loose costumes.
• Age group
• Younger respondents (15 25 year olds) preferred
  tight costumes (26), particularly compared to
  respondents aged 46 years plus (5).
• Occupation
• There were no differences by occupation.
• Home location
• Northern Territory respondents were more likely
  to prefer loose costumes (12) compared to the
  overall preference (4).

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (82) indicated that
  they did not mind if the costumes were loose or
  tight.
• Of those who did have a preference, most
  preferred tight (14) over loose (4) costumes.

22
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN PREFERENCES
Revealing or modest costumes

• Gender
• Men were more likely to prefer revealing costumes
  (23 of men compared to 5 of women) and less
  likely to prefer modest costumes (9 of men, 18
  of women).
• Age group
• Respondents aged 15 to 25 years were more likely
  to prefer modest costumes (25 compared to
  average 17).
• Occupation
• Students were more likely to prefer modest
  costumes (26) compared to other groups (17).
• Home location
• Tasmanians showed a higher preference for modest
  costumers (33) compared to the overall result
  (17).

• Overall
• Similarly, only one in four expressed a
  preference for revealing (7) or modest (17)
  costumes. The majority of respondents (75)
  indicated that they did not mind if the costumes
  were revealing or modest.

23
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN PREFERENCES
Detailed or simple costumes

• Gender
• Men showed a higher preference for highly
  designed and detailed costumes (13) compared to
  women (6). Women were more likely to prefer
  mixed costumes (49) compared to men (32).
• Age group
• Younger respondents (15 25 year olds) were more
  likely (57) and older respondents (56 years
  plus) less likely (33) to prefer mixed costumes
  (47 overall). Older respondents tended to
  indicated that it doesnt matter.
• Occupation
• Students showed a preference towards highly
  designed and detailed costumes (17) compared to
  the average response (7).
• Home location
• There were no differences by home location.

• Overall
• The most common preference was for a mix of
  costume designs (47).
• Simple and unassuming costumes were more popular
  (18) than highly designed and detailed costumes
  (7).
• Only 29 indicated that they didnt mind about
  the level of detail in costume design.

24
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN PREFERENCES
Level of set design

• Gender
• There were no differences by gender for level of
  set design.
• Age group
• Preferences for the level of set design were
  similar across all age groups.
• Occupation
• Preferences for set design did not vary with
  occupation.
• Home location
• Respondents from Tasmania were more likely to
  prefer minimal set design (61) compared to the
  average response (43).

• Overall
• When it comes to the level of set design,
  respondents were split between preferring a
  minimal set design (45) and saying that it
  doesnt matter (46).
• Minimal set design was much more popular than
  having a lot of set design (10) or no set
  design (1).

25
COSTUME AND SET DESIGN PREFERENCES
Video/film projection

• Gender
• There were no differences by gender on this
  issue.
• Age group
• While very few respondents were interested in a
  lot of video or film projection (2 overall),
  younger respondents tended to be more interested
  in some projection. Respondents aged 15 to 25
  years were most likely to prefer projection
  (60), while respondents aged 56 plus were least
  likely (34).
• Occupation
• Students were most interested in some video
  projection (60) compared to average (47).
• Home location
• Respondents from the ACT showed a higher
  preference for no video or film projection (30)
  compared to average (19).

• Overall
• Very few respondents preferred a lot of video
  or film projection (2).
• Nearly half (48) preferred some projection,
  with two in ten (19) nominating no projection.
• One in three (31) did not mind about the amount
  of film or video projection.

26
COSTUME AND DESIGN PREFERENCES
Lighting colours

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences for
  lighting colours between men and women.
• Age group
• Younger respondents tended to be more likely to
  choose a preferred colour, whereas older
  respondents were more likely than younger
  respondents to say that it did not matter (80 of
  56 years plus, compared to 52 of 15 25 year
  olds).
• Occupation
• Students were less likely (54) than average
  (67) to say that the lighting colours did not
  matter.
• Home location
• Respondents from Tasmania were less likely (53)
  than average (67) to say that lighting colours
  did not matter.

• Overall
• Two in three respondents (67) indicated that it
  doesnt matter which colours are strongly used
  in the performance.
• Blue (13) and red (7) were the most popular
  colours nominated.

27
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Use of humour

• Gender
• Women were more interested in a performance that
  is a little humourous (44) than men (33).
• Age group
• Younger respondents were more likely to prefer a
  performance that is a little humourous (48 of
  15 25 year olds, compared to 30 of 56 years
  plus), whereas older respondents were more likely
  to say that is does not matter.
• Occupation
• Students were more interested (54) than average
  (42) in a performance that was a little
  humourous.
• Home location
• Responses for the level of humour in the
  performance did not vary by home location.

• Overall
• The strongest preference for humour was to have
  a little humour in the performance (43) rather
  than a very humourous performance (11) or one
  that was not humourous (5).
• Four in ten (41) did not mind about the level of
  humour in the performance.

28
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Intellectual stimulation

• Gender
• Men were more likely to prefer a performance that
  is highly intellectually stimulating (53) than
  women (28), whereas women were more likely to
  prefer a performance that is mildly
  intellectually stimulating (42) than men (24).
• Age group
• Younger respondents (15 25 year olds) were more
  likely to prefer a mildly intellectually
  stimulating performance (50) than the average
  response (39).
• Occupation
• There were no differences in this preference
  between occupational groups.
• Home location
• Respondents showed similar responses for this
  question across the states and territories.

• Overall
• One in four (25) said that it doesnt matter
  about the level of intellectual stimulation in
  the performance.
• Among those who did have a preference, responses
  were split between highly intellectually
  stimulating (32) and mildly intellectually
  stimulating (40).
• Very few were interested in a performance that
  was not intellectually stimulating (3).

29
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Level of entertainment

• Gender, Age group, Occupation, Home location
• There were no differences between groups for the
  preferred entertainment level the majority want
  a performance that is highly entertaining.

• Overall
• When it came to the level of entertainment of the
  performance, very few (11) said that it doesnt
  matter.
• The majority of respondents wanted a performance
  that is highly entertaining (76) or at least
  mildly entertaining (12).

30
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Pace of the performance

• Gender, Age group, Occupation, Home location
• There were no differences between groups in their
  preference for the pace of the performance the
  majority want a performance that mixes slow,
  medium and fast paced dance.

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (83) preferred a
  performance that mixed paces.
• No respondents preferred a slow paced
  performance.

31
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Dancers and facial expressiveness

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences for the
  facial expressions of dancers between men and
  women.
• Age group
• Younger respondents are more likely to prefer
  dancers to have very expressive faces (61)
  compared to average (47).
• Occupation
• Students are also more likely to prefer the
  dancers faces to be very expressive (61)
  compared to average (47).
• Home location
• Respondents in Tasmania are less likely to say
  that it does not matter (8) compared to other
  respondents (average 22).

• Overall
• The majority of respondents were interested in
  expressive faces, either preferring the dancers
  faces to be very expressive (48) or a little
  expressive (29).
• Very few were interested in faces that were not
  expressive (1).

32
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Dancers and engagement with the audience

• Gender
• Women were more likely to prefer dancers to be
  slightly engaged with the audience (34) than men
  (20) (although men tend to be more interested in
  having dancers that are very engaged with the
  audience).
• Age group
• Younger respondents (aged 15 25) tend to be
  more interested in dancers that are very engaged
  with the audience only 10 say that the
  engagement does not matter compared with the
  average of 21.
• Occupation
• Similarly, students are less likely to say that
  it does not matter (11) compared to the average
  (21).
• Home location
• Respondents in the ACT (11) and Tasmania (3)
  are less likely to say that it does not matter
  compared to the average (21).

• Overall
• Similarly, respondents preferred that the dancers
  to be engaged with the audience, either very
  engaged (40) or slightly engaged (32). Only
  7 preferred that the dancers are not engaged
  with the audience.
• Only 21 indicated that it doesnt matter.

33
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Narrative vs abstract works

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences for this
  aspect of the performance between men and women.
• Age group
• Preferences for a mix of narrative and abstract
  was common across all age groups at least three
  in four preferred a mix.
• Occupation
• Students were more likely than the average
  respondent to prefer narrative with a familiar
  story (10 compared to an average of 4) and less
  likely (65) to prefer a mix of narrative and
  abstract compared to average (81).
• Home location
• There were no differences in preferences for this
  aspect of the performance among respondents from
  different states and territories.

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (81) preferred a mix
  of narrative and abstract in the works they see.

34
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Level of drama

• Gender
• Men and women showed similar preferences for the
  level of drama in the performance.
• Age group
• Younger respondents were more likely to prefer a
  performance that was slightly dramatic (31 of
  15 25 year olds) compared to average (21) and
  less likely to say that it does not matter (27
  compared to 42).
• In comparison, older respondents (56 years plus)
  were more likely to say that it does not matter
  (54 compared to an average of 42).
• Occupation
• Students were also less likely to say that it
  does not matter (26) than average (42) with
  more students nominating a preference for some
  level of dramatisation.
• Home location
• There were no differences in these preference by
  location.

• Overall
• Three in ten respondents preferred a very
  dramatic performance (27) and a further one in
  ten (8) preferred an extremely dramatic
  performance.
• Only 2 indicated that they preferred a
  performance that was not dramatic, while 42
  said that it doesnt matter.

35
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Surprise in the performance

• Gender
• Men and women showed similar preferences for
  surprise in the performance one in two (50)
  preferred to be greatly surprised.
• Age group
• Respondents aged 56 plus were less likely to
  prefer to be greatly surprised by the
  performance (28), particularly in comparison to
  younger respondents (59 of 15 25 year olds).
  The older respondents tended to either have a
  good idea about what they would see or to say
  that it did not matter.
• Occupation
• Similarly, retired/non-working respondents were
  less interested in a performance that would
  greatly surprise (26 compared to an average of
  50). They showed a higher preference for having
  a good idea about what they would see in the
  performance (29 compared to an average 15).
• Home location
• Preferences here did not vary by location.

• Overall
• Most respondents wanted to be a little
  surprised (21) or greatly surprised (49) by
  the work. Only 15 said that it does not matter
  if they are surprised or not.
• Only a small proportion (15) were interested in
  having a good idea of the kind of work you are
  about to see.

36
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Dance vs other forms of performance

• Gender
• Women were more likely to prefer mostly dance
  in the performance (86) compared to men (75).
• Age group
• The preference for a high amount of dance
  compared to other forms of performance was
  similar across all age groups.
• Occupation
• Similarly, the preference for a high amount of
  dance was consistent across occupations.
• Home location
• There were no differences by location for this
  preference.

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (85) preferred the
  performance to have a high amount of dance
  compared to other forms of performance.
• Only 1 wanted a small amount of dance compared
  to other forms of performance.

37
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Exploration of themes

• Gender, Age group, Occupation, Home location
• There were no differences between groups for the
  preferred entertainment level the majority
  preferred exploration of a mix of the themes.

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (58) preferred a mix
  of themes to be explored in the performance.
• Of the specific themes nominated, the human
  condition (11) and the joy of life (7) were
  most commonly chosen.

38
NATURE OF THE PERFORMANCE
Level of improvisation

• Gender
• There were no differences in preferences here by
  gender.
• Age group
• Younger respondents were more interested in a mix
  of improvisation levels (55 compared to 44).
• Preference for no improvisation tended to
  increase with age (from 16 in 15 25 year olds
  to 28 in 46 55 year olds).
• Occupation
• There were no differences in these preferences by
  occupation.
• Home location
• Respondents from the Northern Territory were more
  likely to prefer a highly improvised performance
  (18 compared to an average of 4) and less
  likely to prefer a mixture (24 compared to 44).
  
• South Australian respondents (57) were more
  likely than average (44) to prefer a mixture of
  improvisation and non-improvisation.

• Overall
• Preferences for improvisation were mixed. Nearly
  one in two (45) wanted a mixture of scenes with
  and without improvisation, while one in five
  (20) did not want any improvisation by
  performers.
• Only one in five (18) said that it does not
  matter about the level of improvisation.

39
PROGRAM NOTES
Program notes

• Gender
• Women were more interested in some program notes
  (61) than men (42) who tended towards higher
  preferences for very little program notes or
  saying that it does not matter.
• Age group
• Respondents aged 45 55 years were less likely
  than other age groups to prefer very detailed
  program notes (17 compared to 28) they tended
  to prefer some program notes.
• Occupation
• Teachers, dancers and students were more likely
  to prefer very detailed program notes (29)
  compared to respondents from other occupations
  (15), who tended to prefer some program notes
  rather than none or very detailed ones.
• Home location
• Respondents in the ACT were more likely to prefer
  very detailed program notes (39) while
  Tasmanians were less likely to want detailed
  program notes (11).

• Overall
• The majority of respondents (58) preferred some
  program notes, with a further 28 wanting
  program notes that are very detailed.
• Only a few respondents wanted either no program
  notes (2) or ones with little detail (6). Only
  6 indicated that it does not matter.

40
DANCE ELEMENTS

• Preferred number of dancers
• Preference Mixed Ensemble Duet Solo Trio Quartet
• First 50 29 7 4 4 3
• Second 18 35 14 11 10 7
• Third 5 11 19 19 17 25
• Fourth 6 7 19 14 32 17
• Fifth 4 7 29 14 21 19
• Sixth 12 6 8 34 17 24
• Average (out of 6) 4.7 4.6 3.2 2.7 3.0 2.8

• Overall
• Respondents tended to prefer a mixed number of
  dancers, followed by an ensemble.
• Gender
• Responses were generally similar between men and
  women, although women tended to prefer mixed
  performances more than men.
• Age group, occupation and home location
• Preferences were similar across age groups,
  occupations and states and territories.

41
DANCE ELEMENTS
Choreographic Structures

• Gender
• Diagonals tended to be more popular among men
  (mean rating 6.2) than among women (5.7), as were
  straight lines (men 5.4 women 4.9).
• Age group
• There was little difference in ratings by age
  group.
• Occupation
• Retired/non-working respondents tended to be less
  positive about unison movement (rating of 6.7,
  compared to overall mean of 7.2).
• Students gave lower mean ratings for random
  patters (6.5 compared to 7.1) and higher ratings
  for canons (7.3 compared to 6.8).
• Home location
• Tasmanians were less positive about random
  patterns and unison movement.
• For uniform patterns, respondents from ACT gave
  higher ratings, while Tasmanians gave lower
  ratings.
• Victorians were less positive about diagonals.

• Overall
• The highest mean ratings (out of ten) were given
  to unison movement (7.2) and random patterns
  (7.1).
• Straight lines (rating of 4.9) and diagonals
  (5.8) were least preferred.

42
DANCE ELEMENTS
Movement qualities

• Gender
• Men tended to give higher ratings for sensual
  movement qualities compared to women, for minimal
  and for athletic qualities. Women were more
  positive about expressive qualities.
• Age group
• Older respondents were less impressed by minimal
  qualities (4.1, compared to 4.8 overall).
• Younger respondents (under 35s) tended to be more
  positive about the qualities, giving higher
  ratings for sharp and angular, gestural
  /pedestrian and athletic qualities.
• Occupation
• White collar and retired respondents were less
  positive about sharp and angular movements and
  more positive about sensual qualities.
• Home location
• Queenslanders were more positive about athletic
  qualities, while Victorians were more positive
  about minimal qualities.
• Tasmanians were less positive about athletic and
  virtuosic qualities.

• Overall
• The movement qualities given the highest mean
  rating (out of ten) were expressive (mean 8.1),
  athletic (7.4) and sensual (7.3).
• Minimal (4.8) or gestural and/or pedestrian (5.7)
  were least preferred.

43
DANCE ELEMENTS
Types of movement

• Gender
• Women gave higher ratings than men for turns,
  feet pointed and balancing. Men gave a higher
  rating for intricate and detailed.
• Age group
• Younger respondents tended to be more positive
  about the types of movement, with the exception
  of intricate and detailed movements and movements
  across space.
• Occupation
• Students tended to give higher ratings on the
  types of movements than other occupational
  groups.
• Home location
• Tasmanians gave lower ratings on turns, jumps,
  partnering and moving across space, and higher
  ratings on high legs and feet pointed.
• ACT respondents gave higher ratings for high
  legs, moving across space and erratic and
  spasmodic movements.
• South Australians have higher ratings on
  partnering and intricate and detailed.

• Overall
• The types of movement given the highest rating
  (out of ten) were moving across space (mean
  rating 8.2) and partnering and jumps (mean rating
  7.7).
• Feet flexed (5.6) and erratic and spasmodic (5.9)
  were given the lowest mean ratings.