The first thing that struck me about the performance was the bare humming and throbbing of the music in the beginning.It almost reminded me of ambient electronic bands like Boards of Canada, but it was much more simple and organic than that. The soundtrack did the most work in expressing the emptiness and vastness of space, but the silent motions of the dancers did as well. It was easy for me to imagine the performers as a pair of first time astronauts fumbling about in zero gravity, hearing only the gentle rhythms of the void, seeing only by the dim light of a distant Sun.

Maybe it’s just because I have never seen modern dance before, but the rest of the performance felt like experiencing a mental breakdown. Screaming and yelling, kicking beach balls around (were the four big balls supposed the represent the four gas giants in our solar system?) and making almost animalistic noises were an interesting way of portraying how Earth politics seems so petty and primitive in the comparison to the cosmos. The way in which the performers represented people putting aside their differences seemed to be rocky, with chases and guns, but ultimately successful. While I’m not exactly interested in watching more modern dance, I think that this performance effectively communicated the overview effect in a somewhat non-verbal way.

A steady and rumbling beat shook the theater and my body. The sound immediately imbued me with a sense of discomfort, almost fear. Soon, one dancer emerged, then another. Discord and chaos seemed to govern their bodies. Their movements were unpredictable and independent, just like man. Our minds cultivate countless, erratic thoughts unique from anyone else, our differences in thought causing conflict and confusion, which was captured by the choreography in this first part of the performance. After this, however, the male dancer began spewing distressed noises from his mouth and then kicked beach balls onto the stage, as if he were sick of being human and had purged the flaws of man from his body. The two then started observing and kicking the beach balls as if examining the ills of humanity from a removed perspective. The dancers then started to revolve around each other, reciting the names of the world’s countries, finally in a state of union. It felt like they had transformed from conflicting humans to outside observers. They were now looking at the planet from above, witnessing the countries pass by. However, they also witnessed humans and their actions, using their guns to settle their small and pointless disagreements, now aware of how futile it is. As the performance came to a close, the dancers faded into the darkness, reciting the words “day” and “night,” the only constants on this planet; no matter what fleeting problems we may have, they will never last longer than the unending cycle of day and night. In the end, we are all the same. Just a species sharing a planet, living under the same star.

While watching this performance, a bunch of words came to mind: genius, beautiful, weird, scary, inspirational, different, fascinating. I haven’t been to too many live performances like this before, but this one was definitely something special. It resonated especially with me because it combined two things that are ridiculously interesting to me: physics and dance. I’ve only had very basic introductions to both of these topics (an algebra-based physics class in high school and eight seasons of MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew), but despite my shallow knowledge, they’ve both managed to captivate me. They’re seemingly opposites; physics is an objective, mathematical science which explains the laws of nature from the subatomic to the astronomical, while dance is an extremely human art form which illustrates the beauty of movement and the human body. Seeing these two concepts come together was moving (no pun intended). Two dancers, two individual human bodies, portraying a concept that is unimaginable for those of us who are bound to Earth: the overview effect.

Everything about this event was striking to me. I was moved by the performance, educated by the lecture, and satisfied by the Insomnia Cookies. Honestly, though, the moment that’s stayed in my mind most was from the Q&A. Someone in the crowd asked (I’m paraphrasing here) if there will come a point, after commercialized spaceflight has become common, when people will no longer experience the overview effect. I was expecting the speakers to say something like “something as grand as seeing the entirety of Earth before your very eyes will always move a human being, even those in the future.” Instead, I was surprised to find that they agreed that there will probably come a point of desensitization, just like after the publication of the first official map of Earth or after the first complete photograph of the Earth was taken. It was just astonishing to me to imagine humanity at that point. A point when everyone has seen and experienced something that is, right now, reserved to only a very select group of people. Thinking of this reminds me that humanity is always moving forward, always asking “what’s next?” I find that both terrifying and wonderful.

You enter into this world with heavy throbbing, like a reverberating drum, or perhaps the deep, deep, thumps of a heartbeat. So begins The View From Nowhere.

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If I could use one word to describe this performance, it would be startling. This performance was not the typical smooth, in-sync, polished performances that we are used to; it was raw, harsh, intriguing and unsettling. There seemed to be two different performances in one–I found myself struggling to pay attention to both of the dancers at once. However, what made the performance most unique was the movement; the emotion visible in both the dancers’ faces and their frantic gestures were strong. There were some parts that genuinely startled me, especially when at some point, both the dancers slowed down, almost to a stop before one of them began screeching unintelligibly and throwing beach balls all across the room. The unpredictability of the performance amazed me; I was surprised that every single part was choreographed, especially since most of it seemed like spur-of-the-moment, passionate improv. It was this element that succeeded in keeping the audience constantly on edge and attentive throughout the lengthy performance.

Since the show was so complex, in both the message and movements, I found it a bit hard to interpret, and even harder to relate to the topic of the show: the overview effect. However, near the end, I did manage to find a connection when both the dancers were going around in circles, naming a number of countries before chanting “harmony.” For me, this part connected most with the overview effect, because it represented the thought process of someone experiencing it, seeing all these different nations as one, united and in harmony. It is amazing how they were able to incorporate a scientific phenomenon into an art form, especially since many of us never associate science with art. This performance truly helped showcase the more human and emotional side of science.

My first thoughts involving having to attend the show were that this could be a hit or miss performance for me. I am the farthest thing possible from being fond of dance, but I can also appreciate passion despite not being able to comprehend what is actually going on with the dancing. Despite these thoughts, the context of the “overview effect” is something that I found very intriguing while reading into the pamphlet and hearing Sara introduce it to us. This was what was going through my mind before the show began, and with no idea of what was to come.

When the performance started, I was expecting a form of dance which might have been more fluid, but the first dancer came out to an eery beat and started to contort her body in ways that were frankly uncomfortable. I realized at this point how abstract the dance was really going to be. I do not think that the dance would have been as powerful to those who did not read the pamphlet before the show, because without context the performance looked essentially spastic. I did not like the beginning of the performance much, but the end really appealed to me. The part where the two dancers were circling each other and naming countries was the moment where I began to piece together the elements of the overview effect. The most profound part was when the dancers slowly changed their tones while saying Germany. A few repetitions later the audience heard the word harmony and I thought that would have served as a nice ending to the performance. While the dancers were rotating, there was also a point where the lights were aimed from a position under them and it created an very impressive display on the white wall on my right. All in all I feel guilty for not being able to fully appreciate the choreography itself but I did enjoy the passion and the story that the dancers gave.

As soon as the performance started, I found Sarah’s piece “The View From Nowhere” particularly interesting. The first thing I was intrigued by was the choice of costume. I understood the choice of blue and green shirts to represent the earth but I was unsure as to why she chose for the characters to wear jeans and sneakers. It gave the movements a very hard and industrial feeling. With the squeaking sneakers we were able to hear every movement the dancers made.

Throughout the performance it was extremely obvious that Sarah had paid very close attention to all of the small details. The lighting especially! The dancers cast shadows along the curtain in the black box theatre which was another performance in itself. As they ran around in a circle, at points it looked like they were standing right next to each other on the curtains. The light also gradually dimmed throughout the show or became more focused on the characters. Finally ending with a complete blackout.

 As a dancer, I found the piece particularly interesting and was very impressed as to how Sarah combined science and dance. To see a students work come to life was very motivational and empowering to watch. As an undecided freshman it opened my eyes and made me realize that my education at Hunter College can really take me anywhere. 

When the first few beating notes of the music first began, before Jocelyn first stepped out, I had little idea of what to expect of the performance. As she began to dance, or rather jerk and move about, I started to see just how abstract the piece was going to be. I was taken aback by the unnatural movements, but it also captivated me as I tried to figure out what was happening and what it represented in relation to the theme. As the performance continued, I finally started to piece together my interpretation of the dance.

I saw the beginning as chaos, as people stuck/caught up in the chaos of their own lives, unaware of their relation with others, save for a few interactions. This stops when they see something–the Earth–in the distance, transitioning into the idea of the overview effect and its potential implications. The music stopped and there was a sense of rawness as she took her hair out of a bun and he started jerking and making sounds, reaching a yell. There was this sense of internal chaos in him, followed by this curiosity as they kicked around the beach balls. This transformed into the two of them circling around in a circle, saying the names of numerous countries, giving the sense of a newfound unity, showing the implications of spaceflight for conflict resolution as people realize just how small and insignificant we, and our individual problems, are. But this was soon forgotten as they began making hand gestures, leading up to them holding up “guns.” Then there was a sense of coming together again as they fought and ended up settling against one another again, as if tired of all the circling and hidden messages. By the end, they stand together, experiencing the same day and night, light and darkness.

Having an idea of the premise of the performance before watching it helped me to put together this interpretation, but I could understand the confusion many of my friends experienced. We didn’t go into this realizing just how abstract and far from usual images of dance the performance would be. As a dancer, I had my own image of what I thought the performance would be like, but I would not have imagined what it actually turned out to be (in the best way possible). My favorite aspect, however, was hearing my peers’ reactions to the piece during the intermission/break. While I wouldn’t say that the talk and Q&A helped to give me a better sense of the performance, I think it may have provided some deeper insight for others. I love how this piece can be interpreted in so many different ways, and I enjoyed how the abstract and metaphorical nature of the dance made/forced me think and interpret each movement and section of the dance. This isn’t something you can watch passively and truly appreciate, at least in my opinion. I greatly look forward to future performances for this course, though it would also be nice to see some works that aren’t nearly as abstract.

Going into the performance I had no clue what to expect. How exactly would the Overview Effect be conveyed through dance? At the start of the performance there was a pulsing noise which made me expect a dance which would follow the beat. However, once Jocelyn started dancing her movements were erratic and I could not make sense of them. Then when Julian joined her the randomness of their movements seemed to increase. Both of them did different things, expressed different things with their entire bodies, and did not seem to follow any structure. The only commonalities I could see were the strangeness of and energy in the movements. However, as the performance progressed, there came a moment of silence in which the dancers stopped together and stared at a point. There was a sense of awe in them in this moment and it seemed almost as if they had gone up in space and were looking down at Earth.

When Julian began to make strange grunting noises and kicked around some beach balls I had no clue what to think. Then when he started to circle around with Jocelyn, I thought that maybe they were relearning or reworking their understanding of the world and they were somewhat like children. The chanting of countries followed by words like harmony, followed by physical contact between the dancers really demonstrated the changes in mentality a person would experience. Overall, the performance and following talk were amazing. Although there were some parts I did not understand, the piece as a whole was impressive and expressive. I was especially impressed when I learned during the Q&A session that everything was choreographed and not even the most chaotic-seeming movements were improvised. Seeing this performance was definitely a great experience for me.

Let me start off by saying that, when it comes to more abstract forms of art, the meaning is more often than not lost upon me. That being said, the dance segment of the evening felt rather abstract in its way of conveying the overview effect. Had I not been given a program with a little blurb about the performance and its theme, I would have been staring at the two performers who danced their hearts out for fifty minutes somewhat more confused than I already was. It simply flew over my head and, to be honest, some of the more unusual facets of the performance served only to confuse me more. (The beach balls and the guttural screaming? It’s been two days and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the significance of them.)
This is not to say that it was not an impressive performance; the two dancers were clearly putting their all into this and it was quite amazing to watch them perform. The way that Julian and Jocelyn were able to shift their energy in a moments notice was astounding. From bounding energy, leaping and contorting through the space, to a sudden stop, the stillness of which permeated through the air- it was incredible. The sheer passion that they obviously hold for this piece was almost infectious.
As I had said, had I not known the premise before sitting down and watching the Julian and Jocelyn perform, I would have been baffled beyond comprehension as to what they were trying to say. The thing about art, though, is that it is still available for anyone to appreciate it, regardless of whether or not they possess the level of understanding of what it is trying to say. Now, if it is the same amount of appreciation is debatable, but it can still be enjoyed nonetheless.

This performance was very interesting, while I honestly did not understand all of it I was able to appreciate some of the symbolism between the dancers actions and The Overview effect. In the beginning the dancers moved erratically around the 360 degree performance space in a way that seemed random, almost as if it were improv, not choreographed in advance. I assumed this was supposed to symbolize their journey into space although my only real clue to this inference was the fact that towards the end of this section of the performance they came together and stared out at the audience in awe, as if they were seeing Earth from space for the first time. Later they seemed to acknowledge the change instilled in them by the Overview effect by chanting the names of every country in the world followed by “harmony,” “army,” and “unity.” I think Julian and Jocelyn really captured the emotional and mental change in a person before and after the Overview effect. As they “descended back to earth” the two established physical contact for the the first time in the entire 50 minute piece showing both their personal and interpersonal development as a result of the experience.

There were still plenty of things I did not understand about the performance. First of all why all the beach balls? Why did Julian make all the expressive though not coherent noises prior to and during his release of the beach balls? Why did they kick the majority of the balls to the edge of the stage but leave some in the center in a seemingly random and unplanned accord? Were the balls a microcosm for our solar system or a macrocosm for a persons mind/thought process/conscience? Despite my desire to have a better understanding for all parts of the piece, A View From Nowhere was a fantastic presentation that both challenged and entertained me. I was lucky enough to be a part of the select few who got to experience it.