I know almost nothing about dance.  I know a very little about the relationship between people and their bodies in the 17th century.  Enough to know that dance is a very important part of this art form.  And just as the theater devoid of spectacle is missing something, the baroque opera without dance is incomplete.

It seems to be something we’ve lost today, in more places than just the opera.  Not only in our hunching over keyboards and slouching in couches, but in how we walk through the world.  How we consider the way we move our bodies, and not just the appearance of them.

I sat in on a lecture, recently, about customs and conventions of the 17th and 18th century.  The lecturer showed us some articles of clothing and pointed out where the arms came out of the torsos… the clothes were made in such a way to force you into that yoga posture that I am always reminding myself to maintain.  Shoulders back, shoulder blades together, chest forward.    Good posture equals good circulation.  equals better health.  Who knew?  We did.  Hundreds of years ago.

Watching Carlos and Caroline particularly, the two featured dancers, makes you want to carry yourself with more dignity.  To stand straighter and breathe more deeply.  Whether they are dancing a noble dance for the court or playing a character, they maintain a kind of elegance and beauty of movement.  They equate us with the art, in a way.  Put us in it, and show how it moves through us.  Define our relationship to it. Somehow.

I don’t feel like I’m explaining it very well.    Perhaps it would be easier to show you.