Into the Gray Zone

Abstract “Into the Gray Zone” conducts a theoretical analysis of the complex inter-mediality of the choreographic exhibition. Examining the inherent tensions that arise as live dance-based practice enters visual arts institutions, this article examines audience attention, individual and collective spectatorship, artistic labor and value, technology, and the influence of social media. It argues that the inter-medial nature of the choreographic exhibition and its porosity to online platforms and mobile communication provides a more accurate reflection of the mediated environments we are currently surrounded by, and living within, than the black box theater. How can dance-based practice be implemented in this gray zone of highly individuated and distracted attention in ways that can make our contemporary condition visible? How can it potentially, if temporarily, remediate these environments?