While some may consider dancing in silence to simply be a way to break with convention, our studio work in Cunningham technique and choreography has shown me that this artistic choice critically shapes the aesthetic of Roaratorio, in both execution and perception, in a way that is far more complex than the simple removal of one of two disjunct elements.

Like hearing John Cage’s 4’33’’, dancing in silence has not highlighted my awareness of the absence of music, but rather made me critically more attuned to the sounds and internal rhythms that abound while moving. While practicing Neil Greenberg’s jig, I felt a measured internal focus as I jumped in a circle because I had to establish parameters of time as well as space that were not dictated by musical counts.

Trying to maintain a steady internal rhythm while my breathing and pulse quickened with exertion made me more attuned to the actions of my body, and more aware of the inaudible metronomy of the steps. My realization was that we have an entire score playing in and around us as we perform these steps, and the steady rhythm of each jig primes us to note such rhythmic deviations.

Grounding the rhythm of the jig in the steps themselves, rather than allowing the music to dictate how the time should be manipulated, also makes the choreography inherently easier to memorize. Each phrase has a unique cadence that is easy to keep in one’s head and executing the steps has the feeling of easy fluid speech rather than a string of unrelated words. This coupled with the heightened awareness of the rhythms of each movement give the movement a kind of logic that I’ve never experienced before.

Finally, I feel that this internal focus lends itself to a unique kind of aesthetic. Watching others in rehearsal, I enjoy the hypnotic quality of coordinated group steps in which each dancer clearly has an individual internal focus, and yet also forms an integral component of the ensemble. Herein is to be found, for me, Meg’s description of the “landscapes” that Cunningham created in his choreography. While executing these movements, I don’t feel I am actively creating a landscape, but rather navigating one. Attention to movement, rhythm, and those around me creates an environment that is both exciting to interact with and striking to watch.