Upon walking into the Felt Room, a wave of confusion and disorientation washed over me. In the pitch black darkness, I found myself nervous and unsure of what to do. I walked into the center of the room and stood there. I could see nothing, but slowly began to hear breathing and movement. My disorientation began to fade as my eye sight adjusted to the darkness and I could make out shapes of other bodies. I watched and felt them move around me. This disorientation continued to fade when lights started to pulse and slowly light up the room.
The movement in the dance was very spacial. Not only did the dancers move around the entire room, they also moved in high and low spaces. Sometimes the dancers danced in their own space, other times they came into the audience’s or another dancer’s space. It appeared as though there was contact improvisation with both the dancers and the audience.
I think people should experience the felt room because it offers a new way of experiencing dance. The absence of sight heightens other senses, creating an interesting perception of the dance. Additionally, the audience is able to participate (if they want), which is also very unique. I encourage those who attend to stay for a while because the dance transforms as time goes on, and thus so does the audience’s experience.
-Chloe Rouhandeh, Cultures of Dance 115
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- A Trajectory of Disorientation - January 23, 2017