DAY EIGHT

By Ellie McDonald

My written description of Jem’s dance:

Rocking, continuous, circling a hula hoop, circling a centrepoint, lindy hop suzie-Q feet.
Uneven steps, rhythm – chugging, like train. Irish tap dance – speed/excitement as gets faster. Childlike.
Carefree. Abandon. Heavier breathing. Arms are uncontrolled. Loose, waving, surrendering. Like clothes on a washing line.
Internal rhythm. Prayer. Sore knees. Feeling the sun, finding God. Statue. Wing.
Exposed torso. Emerging. Finding strength, twisting, a smile. Finding it.
At ease. Eeeeewwwwwww (x2).
Rhythm of hands – irish dance rhythm on the belly, rubber hands.

My written description of Patrycja:

Forward gaze, eyes locked on a point somewhere not too far away. Heavy eyelashes. Lashes that lift with the breath. Slow blinking, calm, serene, or perhaps bored. Shadowed face – but sunlight moves across the top. Mouth tightly closed. Straight line. Shift of focus downwards. An interlude. Hand brushes face obscuring the right eye. An animal waiting to do the next thing. Blank. A swallow. Slow blink. Eye shift to the right. Face lights up. A lighter expression. More thoughtful. What is the thought behind the eyes? Watery. Glassy. Seeing a thought in the mind, the squint of the skin as a thought passes through. Eyes closed. Swallow. Resting. Tired. Alert. Open. Small breathing. Definitely bored. Face looks stuck – skin looks solid. Eye lids droop. Quickening, twitching. Cough. Remains still. When is the change? Staring upwards. Hair moves in the breeze. Contemplation. Dreaming. Waiting to finish. Blink. A smile. Open. Change of focus.