The birds suddenly took off in formation, looking like bright scarlet, yellow and blue kites as they soared in circles, then revealing turquoise bellies as they executed barrel rolls in unison.
The segments in which all eight dancers executed simple movements in unison were the most riveting, and the most reflective of the inspiration behind the piece -- particularly the very end when the dancers strode toward us in slow motion, with haunted faces, the sombre lighting by Jim French throwing up their enormous shadows against the back wall.
On Thursday, sheer technical ability became a thing of beauty when, for instance, the violins executed a seamless, unison run in the Beethoven, turning a phrase much as a master glass blower spins out a vase in one smooth motion.
But the idea that the dancers are competitive when executing the same movement, in unison or in echoing phrases, soon gives way to the dialogue evoked by the second and third sections of the score's five movements.
Two of Tharp's dancers execute the 100-movement sequences in unison, before five dancers each perform 20 of the phrases.
On stage tonight, the anonymous girl vocalists sing-shout, raw and in unison, while executing joyously amateur dance moves.
Rarely do they move in unison.
In "I Want You," robot soldiers execute unison maneuvers while processing draftees.
In contrast to the in-unison normal modes, the out-of-unison complex modes feature a π/2 phase difference.
Both boats executed superb starts on what looked to be a gear-busting afternoon, hitting the line in unison with Prada positioned slightly to windward of America One.
