Accessible. I felt that going to Fall for Dance was high art coming to meet me, an average person who could take the subway to and fro. I saw parents coming to Fall for Dance with their young children, older folks, and people of all kinds. Many of my assumptions about art and its lack of democratic appeal were challenged by the experience I had in traveling there as well as the people I saw.

Awesome. I mean the word in its original sense, as inspiring a sense of wonder and acknowledgement of institutions and individuals greater than myself. It was an exquisitely beautiful venue, and though the performances each spoke to me differently, they were all masterful displays of choreography and emotion.

Off the beaten path. I arrived early with some classmates and, upon seeing the lights in the distance, we set off to Times Square. On the same night, I spent time with awestruck tourists who barely dug deeper than the glare of LED advertisements and an audience of New Yorkers who were enjoying a beautiful night of artistic achievements just a few blocks down. Such contrasts of magnificence and intimacy are only possible in a few places, and New York is one of them.