Measurements of Time and Space in the Conscious and Unconscious Realms of Being

Abstract

A recent performance of the Paul Taylor Dance Company reflected artistic marvel and creative splendor. A beautifully timed Avro Pa ̈rt portrayal of Mr Taylor’s work ‘‘The Uncom- mitted’’ was spectacular in movement, gesture, and intention. In ‘‘The Uncommitted’’ Mr Taylor’s dances were elucidated through four short works by Mr Pa ̈rt: entitled ‘‘Fratres,’’ ‘‘Mozart-Adagio,’’ ‘‘Ricercar,’’ and ‘‘Summa.’’ The rendition was so full of bounty that it led to a discussion between my col- league and me on the properties of dance itself. We acknowl- edge, that unlike with music, a mere glance at the dancers’ bodies can evoke a host of anticipatory emotions, from imme- diate beauty to the envisioned mental imagery of movement which comes over an audience just prior to the actualization of the modern dancers’ motion. This can be tantalizing. The simple viewing of their bodies in stillness encapsulates a feel- ing of creative potential force, and the capacity for motion and stir. This is transmitted from the dancers, to every attendee of the 1000 seated in the Koch theater, even as the dancers are yet to move.