A Question for a Dance Critic: What is the object of your criticism?

A responsible performing arts critic must necessarily understand the art form that they are viewing, be it drama, dance, or musical theatre. In presenting the need for defining dance, Julie Charlotte Van Camp states in her dissertation PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS OF DANCE CRITICISM:

A third reason for defining "dance" is that it lays important groundwork for specifying what critics are, or should be, evaluating. Definition of an art form is not necessarily the same thing as specifying the aesthetic object, understood in the sense of the proper object of criticism. However, identifying the proper object of criticism involves distinguishing those things that are critically relevant from those which are not. Understanding the phenomenon of dance from a descriptive perspective should assist in those normative inquiries, especially for an art form about which so little is understood. For example, whether music is a necessary condition of "dance" is of interest in determining whether auditory images should be included in the proper object of criticism.

By extension then, whether a dancer's physicality is a necessary condition of dance is of interest in determining whether body shape should be included in the proper object of criticism. The physicality of a dance incorporates the ideas of grace, strength, movement quality, musicality, presentation, acting/expression, and emotion. Is outward appearance to be a consideration in the effectiveness of these things? Is it a valid object of criticism? Peter Brook, the influential theatre director, states in his book The Open Door, that "it is important for the actor to be physically conscious, to make an image of the world. To have an expression of outer life, one must have strongly marked types." He also insists that the actor needs to have intense sensitivity to their body and body mechanics in order to communicate the totality of the theatre experience. This is very definitely applicable in dance, especially as it pertains to musical theatre where the mold is not as strict as a professional ballet school.

What aspects of performance should the dance/musical theatre critic examine? Because many local critics have had little to no formal training in dance or theatre criticism, many offer only a gut reaction, witty remarks, a plethora of comparisons, and seemingly arbitrary statements born of their own eccentric tastes. These statements or "reviews" are without the reasoning and analysis found in good criticism. This could be because the critic has not taken the time to fully understand their

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