The session today is one of playfulness. After a slightly serious beginning, suddenly there is laughter, and colourful scarves being thrown into the air. There is dancing, energetic, flowing, people standing and others dancing in their chairs or sitting on the floor. Red noses appear on everything – on fingertips, on toes, clipped onto a scarf, being used as tennis balls, and rolling along the floor. They are on my ears (and obviously there is one on my nose.) We look into each other’s eyes, with laughter. There are few words, but there is a riff on a well-known poem:
I wandered lonely as a dove
That floats on high in wind and storms…
Two people dance as a pair, with intricate footwork and spins – it is like a moment from a film, where the two main characters suddenly break into a routine. They are closely matched – and I realise the skill of our dancer, who is so closely connected with his partner that he is following her every improvised move, able to read her body and anticipate what she will do next. I am in awe.
In the middle of everything, someone sits quietly and with skill and patience, she does a seamless repair on one of the instruments – it is as good as new, and we are all delighted.
And why do we do this?
To explore the space between us – to feel what it is like to be together, here and now.