Running Piece | Reflections: Wil Knoll

Running Piece is a series of meditations.

The body in motion. When did it start? When does anything begin? A running cadence is when both feet leave the ground for the first time in a stride. But a run does not begin when I hit start on the treadmill. It's already begun when I'm in the change room or in the car or have left the house. A run begins when the choice is made. That impulse is almost impossible to capture in a moment. Like an acceleration curve you can measure the moment things changed... But can you perceive it? How many tiny granular moments took to shape a gait, the downtrodden lumber, or the exuberant shuffle? All of the endless patterns in our lives, how did they start?

The body moving through space. The motivation to catch up or fall behind. The constant detailed busy work. The illusion of getting ahead that only leaves us standing in space. The choice to move. Ownership of speed. The vocabulary of movement expands, and new rhythms fall out as expressions become fuller.

This is what runs through my head keeping pace with the relentless impact of dancer James Gnam's feet. Gnam possesses a dedicated effortless power, able to gracefully stumble and clumsily float in space, a full balance of artistic soul and physically tuned body. The choreographer, Jacques Poulin-Denis, tasks him with extended phrasing that can push the extremes of the viewer's endurance, an art in itself of playing on our own expectations. But nothing ever overstays it's welcome, and there is surprise in staccato punctuations.

The other components of the performance are just as well tuned. Running Piece is confident in its stark staging, never leaning on the large apparatus in the center of focus. Exploration of the relationship between Gnam and the moving surface comes naturally, in discovery. The soundscape is choreographed just as tightly as the movement, accompanying the drone of the motor, not trying to cover for it. Even the visuals, while at times vividly muted, are a full member of the ensemble. Running Piece is well-assembled with nothing bolted on for effect only.

In fact, describing it as a dancer and a treadmill almost does Running Piece a disservice. The treadmill isn't exercise equipment. It's the inescapable momentum of the world around us. It can drag us along on our feet, propel us chest high into the air, or reduce us quietly to our knees.

Wil Knoll splits his time between technical and artistic communities, with a passion for acting and telecommunications networks. You can follow along at home by following @wintr on twitter for more.