Lydia Johnson’s IN CONVERSATION

Last night at Ailey Citigroup, Lydia Johnson Dance  opened their evening with IN CONVERSATION, a work Lydia created in 2004-2005 to music of Philip Glass and set for four dancers. In March 2009 on the evening I first met Lydia, IN CONVERSATION was the first of her works that I saw at a studio presentation of excerpts. Both the piece and the dancers spoke so clearly to me that night, and they spoke yet again last night – with such poignancy of expression that I found myself weeping quietly throughout the whole piece. Above: Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen.

Here is a series of Kokyat’s photographs from IN CONVERSATION:

Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen

 Kerry Shea and John-Mark Owen

Robert Robinson and John-Mark Owen

Jessica Sand and Robert Robinson

Jessica Sand and Robert Robinson

Jessica & Robert

Kerry Shea

Kerry & John-Mark

Jessica Sand

It is both odd and wonderful that certain pieces of music or the choreographed movements of certain dancers can move us so deeply and summon our emotions with such intense clarity. During IN CONVERSATION last night the world seemed to disappear and it was just Jessica, Kerry, Robert, John-Mark, Philip Glass and me alone together in that darkened space. I felt so grateful to be experiencing such beauty: compensation for the darkness and despair which seem to be ever-encroaching on our world.

My deepest gratitude to Kokyat for his images that will keep this experience alive in my memory.