Robbins: Dances at a Gathering

Partnering in dance is a remarkably intimate thing to do. Our world encourages isolation and self-sufficiency; partnering demands that both people submit to each other. It's uncomfortable to be so close, to be so vulnerable, to give so much of your control over your body and your choices to another. But because it's so common in dance, that intimacy is often lost in performance.

In the pink/purple pas de deux from Robbins' "Dances at a Gathering", that connection and dependence is centered and celebrated. Even in the moments of physical separation, there is no isolation. It's a truly beautiful 2.5 minutes that reminds me how dance is uniquely capable of capturing the feelings of community, trust, vulnerability, and love that are essential to humanity.