On Friday, I saw a dance performance at the Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church. My knowledge and experience with dance can fit on the head of a pin, but I really enjoyed it.
In one of the many short pieces, a striking, strong woman came out on stage. She stood in the center of a spotlight. A sermon started from the speakers.
And she began to dance to it.
When the preacher spoke of the virtues of a good attitude, she held herself a little taller. When he was particularly preachy, she walked around the perimeter of the spotlight circle and wagged her finger at the audience.
But the dance was not limited to interpreting the content of the speech. When the words tumbled out of the speaker’s mouth in a rush, the dancer was a flash of arms, legs, and hair. And when he slowed down to emphasize a point, her flash of movement slowed down to match it.
The piece was short, but quite powerful in demonstrating the beauty in everyday language.