I fell to thinking, as I was dressing this morning, about yesterday’s visit to the ballet, and my rather sorrowful response to it as a consequence of my awareness of age. Then a memory came to me of a visit to Paris some years ago. It was my first solo visit to the city as an academic, and the evening before my scheduled meeting I had nothing arranged. I noticed on the hotel notice-board, however, an advertisement for a performance by the celebrated Merce Cunningham company. They were performing Christopher Bruce’s classic “Ghost Dances”. This was an opportunity I could not miss, and I was lucky to be able to get a ticket.
The high-point of the evening, in many respects, was that Cunningham himself made a very brief appearance on stage. On reflection, he might have been then in his seventies. By absolute critical standards it was nothing to write home about, consisting of a rather elegant meander across the stage. It certainly didn’t require any great athletic ability. Nevertheless, I saw Cunningham dance in a public performance! That was a memory to be cherished, and if called upon to do so I reckon that I too might possibly rise to an elegant meander.
Now the good news. We are going to be spending the next few days away from home (about which perhaps more anon.) Today I unearthed an aged i-pad, and discovered that it still works, after re-charging. I’m hoping that I might be able to manage the odd post or two while away, instead of allowing transmission to lapse. Old things still do retain their value!