Standing Ovation

What is the deal with the standing ovation? I think that they should not be handed out willy nilly. I think that sometimes they are given away too freely, but maybe my criteria are just very different from other people's. I went to Berlin last night, part of Graeme Murphy's final season at the helm of Sydney Dance Company (did that sound like a press release or what?). I really enjoyed it but felt it was uneven in some ways; there were peaks and troughs. For me, to give a standing ovation, it should be impeccable and beyond technically perfect. There should be an extra "I don't know what", as the French would say if they spoke English. There were lots of great things about this show but it didn't move me. I will admit that I was very tired so maybe it was just me. But that brings me to another point - I'm not sure how I feel about the "mexican wave" standing ovation, where people stand up because the people around them have done so. If you think it is deserving of one then stand up. Don't stand up just becasue the person next to you thinks it is deserving of one.

But back to my thing about different criteria. Maybe last night they gave one because it was opening night (is there a separate protocol for this of which I am unaware?) and/or it is one of Murphy's final things with SDC. I personally don't think either of those things warrant a standing ovation, but perhaps to other people they do. Another awkward thing is that you need to think everything and everyone was amazing, because you can't half stand up, or have a neon sign over your head saying "This is for Johnny"... although I can see that catching on. So iOTA, if you read this, I would have given you a standing ovation, but I didn't have my neon sign handy.

Audience Celebrity Spots:
Tim Freedman
Paul Keating