Caught

David Parsons’ signature solo, Caught, is a fusion of art and technology demanding split-second timing and athletic stamina. The effect is a stunning suspension of weight, in which the dancer appears to fly through the air, devouring space before magically returning to rest at center stage. The concept behind Caught is simple and unexpected, with the dancer executing a continual series of leaps synchronized to the flashes of a strobe light. At the root of the piece is humankind’s fascination with flight, something that Parsons believes is universal. “Everybody on the planet has dreamt of flying … The feeling when you’re floating in the air is always a very exciting moment for me,” he explains. The idea for Caught came to Parsons after working with photographers and looking at the ways light is used in photography to capture images. By controlling the light to illuminate only the desired shapes and poses, he created a series of snapshots. Strung together, these isolated images build into a dance that seems to take place entirely in mid-air.

Notes compiled by Doug Fullington.