Well, clearly I disagree.
I am a professional pianist. No one should be clapping with musicians.
My daughters have achieved a high ranking Irish Dance.
No one should be clapping with dancers.
It is beyond rude.
Maybe you like it, but the vast amount of professional performers feel like it shows a great amount if disrespect for a person and their craft.
We are there to WATCH…it’s not an audience participation sport.
Look at the expressions on the violinists faces when people clap along to the Celtic Women shows. They are focusing intently on the conductor to not be lead off tempo.
It’s not necessary to clap along to have a good show.
I apologize if I did not make myself clear.
I was speaking of figure skating. That’s what my first paragraph said.
And it’s not a question of whether you agree or disagree. The facts are the facts–figure skaters in all disciplines want the audience to get involved, and love it when the audience claps along with their music. That’s not my personal opinion, that’s a fact.
I agree with you that in most music concerts (country and bluegrass are exceptions) and most dance programs, it’s not appropriate for people to clap along with the music unless they are invited to do so by the performers or by the director/conductor.
Please remember that figure skating is not an art, it is a sport.
Although most figure skaters enjoy skating alone in their practices, all figure skaters in all disciplines prepare programs with an audience in mind. (The exception to this is the school figures–for the most part, these were not meant to be “performed” in front of an audience.) Most figure skaters want the audience to get involved, to laugh and cry, clap and cheer, and on a perfect day, to stand up in an ovation.
Most figure skaters and teams are prepared for an audience clapping along because they have competed in many non-qualifying competitions and performed in many local exhibitions, and they are used to audience reaction to their program. Most figure skaters and teams, especially those at the elite levels (including Olympic level skaters) are able to concentrate on their program and are not distracted in the least by what’s happening in the stands. Good thing–audiences in most skating rinks sit close to the ice, and there is a lot of movement in the stands during figure skating competitions. People come and go–that’s just the way it is–it’s not considered rude as long as you move BETWEEN a number, not during the number. But there are always people waving signs, screaming, holding up banners, doing funny cheers, etc. Skaters are used to this. They grow up with it. It’s the way the sport works.
In fact, in the old 6.0 judging system, audience reaction was factored into the judging. A program that captivated the audience was given a higher placement.
Also remember that figure skaters in any of the competitions you see are not professionals, they are amateurs.
I know professional figure skaters who perform in ice shows like Stars On Ice or Disney on Ice, and yes, yes, YES, they WANT the audience to clap along. They would never consider it disrespectful.
