John Experiences the Power of Imagination

Last night with the Power Company really answered this big question for me:
When you think of modern/contemperary dance do you think of lots of random movements with no apparent story line? This was my intepretation of this mysterious art form...before i met The Power Company.

As cloudy as it seemed this mystery was clarified when I was informed that I did not have to understand a single thing. It was perfectly ok to come to a performance, sit through each piece, and not understand a single thing or relate to anything. This in and of itself could be your experience.

However, I found it really helpful to have some emotion handy when I watched these rehearsals. You see, each audience member will have their individual experience and interpretation of the performance. Everyone has their own emotions and imagination and to bring this to a modern/contemparay dance performance is exetremly important. Let your emotion sit on one side of you and your imagination sit on the other and you will have a great advantage in interpreting the art form. Personally, I was better able to get something from the rehearsals when I pumped a little imagination and emotion into what my eyes were seeing.

Think of it like watching an old TV show with the sound turned down and making up your own story.

The Power (Company) to Change Minds

As a football-loving, carnivorous, heterosexual male, I thought that a
trip to see a contemporary dance company would be equivalent to castration
without the benefit of anesthesia.

I couldn't have been more wrong if I told you that five plus two
equals bagel. Quite frankly, I was more engaged and interested in this artistic
medium than I ever imagined I could be.

Allow me to elaborate: As someone with a background in physics, I
marveled at the dancers' ability to craft motion to music. More
specifically, and interpretative motion formulated by a human mind in
response to a mechanical wave passing through matter which, in itself,
generates its own motion.

Could I grasp the entire story behind the dance? No! And I didn't
want to, either. As the proud owner of a scientific mind, I was
delighted to be presented with a performance that would be organic,
mysterious, unique, and yet choreographed to the most minute detail.
Life is no fun if the answers are spoon-fed to us. I found the Power
Company provided a vibrant and enigmatic artistic medium that even a
die-hard gearhead like myself could appreciate. I look forward to
their performance later this month!