Life, Love, and Lack Thereof

hiljames movement—The Asper Centre for Theatre & Film (U of W)

A number of people said to me that they don’t understand dance. I tell them to listen to the music. The music often sets the mood, whether it be exciting, melancholic, sad, angry or joyful. Let the music guide your sensations then immerse into the movements. Sometimes, you get a story or a description and song mood changes act as easy cues to what’s happening.

Today, I really didn’t get it. The opening was excellent but the closing of the first dance? Eating a full helping of rice without music? Then the five minutes it took to clean the stage? I was completely lost.

The opening of the second dance lost me a bit too. I understand it was a meal preparation but with no music, it felt more like a mime.

The final dance didn’t take any insight to know what was happening but it was also much more contemporary than what you often see from dance shows.

In all, I enjoyed the run very much, even if I didn’t get everything. Sometimes you don’t need to.

Ray Yuen