Thread: Audience Cheers

Inspired by some recent experiences...

What makes you cheer at a burlesque show?

• Do you cheer because you feel it's audience ettiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?
• Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?
• Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?
• Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?
• Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?
• Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?
• Have you ever been surprised by an audience being quiet during a performance?

By no means does anyone have to answer all the questions - they're merely a springboard for getting a debate/conversation going.

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Do you cheer because you feel it's audience ettiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?

no, if it doesn't induce a cheer, i feel awkward faking it!

Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?

vicky butterfly and chrys columbine spring to mind! it remains deadly silent, then a huge cheer at the end!

Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?

a good compere helps, but the acts will raise the excitement!

Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?

yes

Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?

no, there can never be too much positive noise, when its appropriate
however - talking over people. is a big no no.
i went to a show at proud cabaret. i paid £10 to get in, and everyone just fucking spoke over the acts?!?!
i will never pay to see a show there again, due to the clientele.

Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?

only when appropriate!
i wouldnt cheer during something that doesn't really work with noise.

Have you ever been surprised by an audience being quiet during a performance?

yes. because an act can be amazing, but if its a crap audience or crap atmosphere, it ruins it when people are deadly silent throughout a show

• Do you cheer because you feel it's audience ettiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?
  - If the audience is a loud one then i only tend to cheer when i'm impressed, but if the audience is quiet I cheer louder purely because i know how horrible it feels being up on stage and taking your kit off to a silent audience! I hope that the rest of the audience will join in with me and support the person on stage!
• Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?
  -Not that i can think of...obviously a lot of non- strip acts such as singers you don't want to be cheering whilst they're singing a heart-felt love song, that would just be inappropriate.
• Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?
  -No I nearlly always cheer - its in my nature. I was brought up in the very noisey cheer-filled world of disco dance competitions!
• Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?
  -No. But if i'm really unimpressed I won't cheer.
• Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?
  -I'm more distracted by a quiet audience than a noisey one. I totally feed off audience reaction. My best performances are always in front of noisey, encouraging audiences. I've been that way since a child.
• Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?
  -always. Even if they're not doing so well i know that cheering helps the nerves (for me anyway) so i want to make my friends feel good and enjoy their performance. Another thing I've noticed myself doing is that if someone has a costume/prop malfunction on stage I tend to give extra cheers to "support" them through it so to speak. I know how horrible it feels if you're on stage and you get your corset strings in a knot or something and it feels like a whole 5 mins of fumbling has passed and there's deathly silence as everyone is waiting for you to get yourself out of the predicament! Of course in actual fact its only been a few seconds but if the audience keeps cheering it seems to help you recover your confidence.
• Have you ever been surprised by an audience being quiet during a performance?
  - yes i have performed at some nights where there have been some fab, upbeat acts and the audience have been quiet all night. It sometimes makes you feel like they don't want you to take you're clothes off! I think if the audience is full of a lot of people who are new to burlesque , they don't realise that it is acceptable to be loud.
  I once performed at a retirement do - it was in a fairly small room and the audience were so quiet that i could hear every remark that was said to each other including things like "ooh very nice" and "wow, thats a nice tattoo" - i must say that was a strange experience ! lol

Hi there,

in reply to some of the questions:

Yes I cheer because I think it's appropriate, but also because I enjoy the participation.

I generally whoop and cheer for all performers, to show support and enjoyment and make them feel comfortable on stage, not only those I know or have heard of. I think the newbies need more support than anyone, whoever they are, because they have built up the courage to step up on the stage to entertain us.

As a performer, I love audience participation and have never been put off by the noise being made.

If the audience is quiet I generally encourage them, with body language and facial expression, as to when they should be whooping.

Vx

Originally Posted by vivicadevine

If the audience is quiet I generally encourage them, with body language and facial expression, as to when they should be whooping.

Vx

I second that, I think a good performer can usually let the audience know when they should be cheering with body language and facial expressions

Do you cheer because you feel it's audience ettiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?



I'm kind of with Lady Wildflower on this. I preffer it when the crowd are already loud, as then I can only cheer and whoop when I am genuinley excited or entertained. If, however, the are very very quite because they are not familair with the conventions of burlesque , I will just whoop and cheer at pretty mcuh anything to get them to make some noise!

I must admit though, I think one of the most irritating things that can happen in burlesque is when an otherwise silent audience give that series of really short, half-arsed, little mini-whoops every single time any item of clothing is removed because they think thats what they should do, even when they aren't enjoying the act.....do people know what I mean?


Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?



I don't like to cheer if the music is quite, or slow and delicate, or the act is somber/intense. Acts like Vicky Butterfly 's, Chrys Columbine 's, Miss Hell's Bell's Fandance, Beatrix's 'Love will tear us appart' fandance, Lilly La Scala's Madam Butterfly routne....etc

Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?



No, but I can see how a good compere can really bring an audience out of there shells. It can be distracting though, if the compere is still on stage/visible durin the acts, as I sometimes find myself watching their reactions to the act, ratyher than watching the act myself.
Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?



As mentioned above, I preffer to only cheer when I am genuinley enjoying something, but I do sometimes cheer for moral support, or to boost general noise levels.

I do sometimes have a bad habbit, especially if watching somone I admire, of not making any noise at all because I'm trying to really closely watch what they're doing! I'll give a huge big cheer at the end, but spend most of the act just watching very very intently.
Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?



Not really, except if it gets to the point where you can't hear the music anymore!
Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?



Same as the first question; if the crowd are quite, I'll whoop and shout to boost their spirits (unless it's a quite/somber type of act), if the room is already loud, I'll just go back to only cheering when entertained.
Have you ever been surprised by an audience being quiet during a performance?



It's still interesting to me how different crowds respond to acts.


On a similar note: I sometimes cheer just to entertain myself! Especially if it's a performer and act I know really well, I find it can be really fun to do some really filthy calls......me and Cherry Loco are particularly bad for it if we get together!

What makes you cheer at a burlesque show?

• Do you cheer because you feel it's audience etiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?

I personally find myself either being analytical about the performance, I love variation and if something is too similar or not what I find pleasing I would not cheer of the sake of it. but saying that I have cheered before when I know no one else has. Its one of those things where You know how it feels being on stage and anticipating the cheers. Appreciation makes a performer more comfortable and increases confidence which I believe can only be a good thing.

• Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?

I have seen some acts where I have felt an uneasy to cheer but then half of the entertainment ambience is to enjoy ourselves and have fun. I have held my breath whilst needing to cheer but found myself impressed and overwhelmed with excitement.

• Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?

I personally cheer where appreciation is needed.

• Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?

I get more excited by what I see as pleasing and find myself applauding more than anything.

• Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?

I have found myself looking at videos on line and thinking for gods sake stop screaming an unbearable ear-splitting scream sort of takes my attention away from the performance. I cannot say I have ever experienced this live at a performance though. I love the encouragement of and audience.

• Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?

I think I am the worlds worst for this I love to support my friends and peers and think encouragement helps a person.

• Have you ever been surprised by an audience being quiet during a performance?

I have seen performances where at one venue they are responded to differently at another, it’s still surprising to see the different reactions. I enjoy a good response and think people tune into the atmosphere and surroundings very well.

I love to find myself within my own little bubble when watching a performance to me it’s about the entertainment and the value of an act. As a professional dancer I think it’s hard not to enjoy a better-quality act but at the same time I think the power of encouragement can be a powerful tool as a performer and audience member.

[QUOTE=vivicadevine;115247]
I think the newbies need more support than anyone, whoever they are, because they have built up the courage to step up on the stage to entertain us.

I can't tell you how vital this is! I was so nervous for my first performance, when the audience cheered and applauded my tassle-twirling it was the most moving and valuable part of the whole experience . For me, one of purposes of my routines is to make people smile and it was a joy to know I'd succeeded. Everyone needs a bit of praise.

I'll tend to cheer performers on because I think a bit of support and encouragement helps get the best performance out of people. I would also agree with the comments about using character and extra engagement of the audience, I've seen one or two whose technical skills were amazing, but their lack of character left the audience cold - that must feel truly awful.

Let's give each other a big cheer!
Lily x

i have a cheerleader act and find the audience cheering me on, in certain areas really gets the storey going. as thats what cheerleaders are meant to do, it feels like "ive done my job by entertaining" when i hear the crowd cheer! i think it all depends on what the "act" is xxx

sorry didnt answer any of the questions xxxx

• Do you cheer because you feel it's audience ettiquette to cheer every time a piece of clothing is removed?

no, but if it's removed well and it fits the act then for sure

• Have you ever seen an act in which it's felt inappropriate to cheer?

definitely. there are a few serious and mythical acts where cheering would destroy the atmosphere the perforer has created

• Do you cheer only if/when a compere gets you excited?

no. if the act is good i cheer. but i think a good compere can get you in the mood

• Do you only cheer when you're thoroughly entertained?

mmmm, that's a difficult one...
during the act for sure, but i guess after the performance i clap my hands (not cheer!) even if it sucked arse. i'd like to give everybody credit who goes up on stage and puts themself out there for the critique of everybody. so i think that at least deserves some for of appreciation.

i'd love to know what everybody else thinks about that!

• Do you ever feel like the audience make too much noise? If you're a performer, does audience noise ever distract you?

there can never be too much cheering and it doesn't distract me personally. if there is noise cause people talking to each other, that is very inappropriate and would disturb me, as i would be wondering why they are not watching my act.

• Do you cheer for friends/people you know about in order to make them feel supported and more comfortable on stage?

Hell yeah!