Touch Paradox

2 april 2023
7pm
National Dance Theatre

Two people meet at one point. This point is now common. Two bodies, two people meet at this common point. They are touched. Being touched is like getting into something exceptionally sensitive, intimate and deep. In this moment, something really important, something essential happens. Something inside moves and changes. A new era begins in a
person’s life. Whoever is involved, is no longer objective. Rather honest. And vulnerable. Touch permeates, grasps a person’s being, essence, and gently or forcefully, but takes control.

Finally. Therefore, anyone who touches someone bears great responsibility, be it physical, emotional, artistic or ideological touch. You can be touched by: a hand, a music piece, a film, a book, a thought, a natural sight, a word, a smile or a look…

What is a touch? In terms of physics, if two bodies meet, something is certainly consorting with each other, as we can sense it. But, what is that consorts? What meets what? Body with body, that is, matter meets matter? Matter consists of myriads of atom particles, which circle round each other, whilst there is a relatively huge space in between them. The space within a single atom is proportionally much greater than the number of all atom particles altogether. When two bodies meet, when matter meets matter, the atom particles actually never meet, only approach each other, at the same time keeping the vast empty space in between them. Then, what is that meets, when we touch? What is that we can sense, even if we actually do not meet? The empty space? The touch is the space between us, itself. The grout between the tiles. Does it separate or connect us? What separates, also connects us. What connects us, also separates us. Separates and connects. We meet in the gap, in the grout in between. The tiny space, area of touch = is a broad field, where we have a chance to meet, where we can happen…

The genre of the performance: Artus. The movements, words, actions, images, music, all point towards a single and common direction: inwards, towards the center –, following which we might become touched.
(Gábor Goda)