Throughout the piece, Knight and Harris continually separate, then return to each other over and over, the repetition emphasizing the repeated journeys which result in desire paths. Repeated, too, are conscious engagements with Rossi's environment: The dancers caress the willows with their fingertips and peer sharply into the weeds.
Except for a few hugs toward the end of the piece that appear overly simplistic, each time Knight and Harris rejoin, their engagement with each other's negative space becomes more complicated—and more engrossing.
One of the most compelling moments of “Meanwhile” comes during the second or third duet. This time, the dancers meet on the floor, facing each other seated with legs wrapped around one another. Harris places her hand on Knight's shoulder, and he tucks his head underneath it, revealing a new opening through which she reenters. This in turn creates a space for Knight's elbow, then Harris' cheek, and so on. Intertwining their hands and arms, they fluidly and repetitively move through the openings created by each's sculpted limbs.
They evolve through this series for several minutes. Twisting and untwisting softly, the renewed pathways eventually begin to merge, and the dancers, as well as the audience, are absorbed into one long, sinuous, infinite discovery.
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