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On culturebot.org Lydia Mokdessi discusses Anneke Hansen‘s hymn:
Part of it is an affirmative of the undeniably physical nature of existence. We are animals, there is nothing pejorative about that, it is just a fact. That reverential response can come from…this culture we’re living in doesn’t particularly value the body, you’re meant to vacate yourself in as many ways as possible, sensation isn’t particularly valued, and what can happen with really good dance, if the performance is really highly embodied, is that it can open up a space in which the viewers get to return to their skin. That is really important to me as a value to strive for as a dance artist. Any big religious questions are kind of above my pay grade. My business is the dancing. But within that there is an opportunity; as you hone your craft and technical skills you can hone yourself as a being in the world. We have ways of practicing applying attention, and we don’t often have access to developing those skills in other ways with the same kind of clarity. I don’t want to pretend that being alive is not a big deal. I’m here, you’re here, our minds get to meet. I want to recognize that there’s some glory in that.