SARAH'S SUNDAY SCOOP FROM MARCH 23rd, 2016

By: Sarah Trested

KYL/D theme series #1: Time

For the next three blog posts, I will focus on what I believe to be the three key elements of KYL/D. These elements are time, space, and energy. Lin’s work is unique because of his manipulation and use of these three key elements. Today I will be focusing on the first element, time.

The element of time goes hand in hand with dynamics. KYL/D’s dancers are sophisticated, strong, and beautiful; I think the reason why is because of their exquisite use of time. The dancers move in such a way that you never know what they are going to do next, they don’t give anything away to the audience. Their sense of surprise comes from both the dancer’s talents, as well as the way Lin creates and teaches choreography. When Lin teaches choreography, he actually speaks with dynamics in his voice. Having him as my professor at Temple and now watching him with his company as an intern, I see more clearly how the way he speaks translates to his dancers. When he speaks loudly with lots of energy while explaining movement, I know this communication of the choreography translates to moves that involve high energy and that speaks volumes to the audience, possibly a climax within the piece. When he speaks quietly, almost as if to whisper to a mouse, I know that this part of the movement should be soft and the dancers should be light on their feet. Having a good sense of timing is a hard skill to obtain and I believe each of KYL/D’s dancers fully embody this sense of time and dynamics.

The dancer’s sense of time is part of what makes them so interesting to watch. I watch them practice and run pieces each week and I never get tired of seeing them dance. Even when I know what the choreography is, I am still always left in awe and shock by the way the dancers move and incorporate this sense of time into their craft.

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