The evening started with a whiskey and soda at the 57th St. Nobu, a great place for a cocktail practically invisible mid block tucked into the base of a gray corporate high tower. At the cleverly carved dark bar, under aesthetically hung empty sake barrels, we tried a splash of Japanese whisky made surprisingly from rice. The fountain pop sized pour of soda and the bourbon-like flavor of the booze came together to taste deceptively non alcoholic. The sweet drink was a nice start to a sweet evening at the Fall for Dance performance at City Center, which is an annual series of “programs” which combine masterful dance performances by troupes across the world with remarkably affordable tickets. This night’s programs included pieces from three troupes, one from Winnipeg, Canada, one from Long Beach California, and one from Parma, Italy. Each was a masterpiece, the first lyrical and lovely, with all the dancers making emotionally infused contact with each other in an astounding soft flow throughout, one performed between two men in absolute silence, but with so much communication between the two that music was unnecessary, and the last, a large troupe of perfectly athletic and energetic dancers so creatively bouncing off of each other, leaping from their shoulders and from the floor, such constant motion that was incredible, but also wonderful to witness how our bodies can move when they’re in peak shape. My favorite move by the last troupe, which got one of the many audience laughs, was when the slight young woman, in an incredible pas de deux, seemingly lifted her large muscled partner who was face down splat on the floor by a pull on the his t-shirt, how he used his arms and legs to seemingly rise at her pull was both adorable and astounding. We left lifted by the show, not just delight, but deeper than usual happiness for having been there. Seeing beautiful young people in beautiful shape delivering such beautiful work, all for the sake of beauty, human brains and bodies committed to creation, was a real relief, and for a moment a reminder of who we are as humans, even tonight as news comes in about the wars ripping through so many parts of our world, and about so many human brains and bodies committed to destruction. Art is important, and on some days more than others.
Down for Dance With a Whiskey Twist
