What does it mean to be heard but not understood? This was the theme of the first dance of the “Table For Two & Friends” performance at the Rochester Fringe Festival. This show was a multiform collection of dances presented by URochester students and alums. The pieces explored many themes: Anxiety, community, the simple art of finding movement in your kitchen, and filling space when there is nothing to talk about.
The first piece opened with dancer Can Afaracı speaking a language the audience did not recognize, greeting people, talking to them. You could see the rejection and confusion he felt when the audience didn’t seem to understand him, mirroring the experience many have when they first come to the United States. The dancer continued attempting to engage with the audience, making eye contact and speaking directly to individuals. The longer this process continued, the more uncomfortable and confused the audience grew, until eventually the dancer said “hello,” breaking the tension in the room. The audience then replied with their own greetings, and “hi’s” and “hello’s” filled the room. The dancer was taken aback by the responses, and said something to the effect of “Oh, so you can hear me.” People nodded yes; relieved that they could begin to understand what was going on. The audience could always hear him, but they never fully understood him.
The dance evolved as other people joined the performance, now accompanied by a voiceover to explain what it meant to be a newcomer to America. The voiceover shared what the immigrants did not understand about America, for example how small talk was confusing, and that people from China are not being unfriendly when they do not participate in it. Rather, they are just not used to having to fill space with words.
All of the dancers in this piece wore jeans, a restrictive and traditionally American material. The jeans symbolized trying to conform to American ideals and being restricted in movement.
I think this piece did an excellent job of making the audience feel how the dancers must have felt coming to America, surrounded by a new language, confused about the customs, uncertain about what would happen next. One person made a room of around 50 people feel something bigger than themselves and reflect on their perspective, just by speaking in a language the audience didn’t understand. It was a space that fostered curiosity out of the uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty.
As someone who is far from a dance expert, this piece defied my expectations about what I knew about this art form and mode of storytelling. I especially enjoyed that the audience was an active participant in the performance. Lastly, this piece was a good reminder that discomfort can make us reflect on what we need to do better as a community.
