Flying while there is ‘No Time To Fly’ or the Art of Dis-attachement

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»Strictly speaking I believe I’ve never been anywhere« – that can also be translated to – “.. I have been everywhere .. ” and both might be essential in a similar way for the unique performance Deborah Hay gave during the recent ‘Tanz im August’ Festival in Berlin. See here an excerpt of a similar experience:

Deborah Hay (Austin): No Time to Fly from Tanz im August on Vimeo.

This post comes late – partly due to my recent time schedule, but as well as the unique experience Deborah Hay delivered is so hard to get composed into that different language words are making.

And that is also why I take over from here on the comments of those who wrote from a closer point of view or simply by being involved into a similar experience. The first is an interview Deborah Hay gave to the Exberliner Magazine – certainly closer I ever could get – though the agency of ‘dis-attachment’ was a very obvious and guiding thread throughout her performance.

“‘Dis-attach’ in two steps: realise where you are in time and space, and then detach from it. This way of dealing with the body has formed the core of Hay’s work and, together with her books, has made her an icon of postmodern dance.”

.. continue reading: ExBerliner

And to finally let speak herself:

»If I can manage my perception of time and space to inform my body, then I do not have to think about what movement to do next. What I mean by my perception of time is that it is passing. And what I mean by my perception of space is that I include it in my dancing so that I am not seduced by the intelligence, past experiences, patterns, limitations and /or sensuality of my moving body.«
(Deborah Hay)

.. or in the words of a dancing admirer:

“For me, No Time To Fly is an experience of settling into the subtleties of the moment (death is inevitable, why rush to the next thing, why not occupy the space fully, now). But just as necessary, to be able to let go to the impermanence of things–no hesitation. The way Hay commands energy to make these shifts was so subtle and so powerful, as when strolling along, focus internal, she lifts her arm and gaze to the audience and with a bit of Southern coyness and charm quotes Beckett, “Strictly speaking, I believe I’ve never been anywhere.”

I did not know what questions and instructions Hay was navigating exactly but I could feel that she was both receiving and offering within the vast net of possibilities in a single moment. She is open and yet resolutely here, occupying the space, both anchor and buoy, pointing us to the water.”

(read on at Aertha Aoki’s blog)

download the booklet: score

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