Fragments Gallery
Shadow Dance
A knife flashes in the dark, its silver edge glinting off of the light from the fire. The blade rises and falls, slowly turning and revolving in the late evening air. A hand reaches out and snatches the blade from the air, catching hold of the hilt to arrest its motion. Fingers caress the carved wooden hilt, running along the grooves and the cracks in the old wood. The knife is thrown into the air once more and again it spins in its slow circle, glittering in the dim light. Tonight the knife is beautiful; it adds an edge of danger to the dark. It is just one more element of the dance.
The fire in the center of the room crackles majestically. A log splits and chunks of wood fall into the embers, launching a flurry of sparks into the air. The sparks gleam brightly for a few moments before their light flickers and slowly dies out.
From one dark corner of the room comes a deep sound. It reverberates through the ground, through the air, the sort of sound that is more felt than heard. The resonance from the slow solemn drum surges onwards, cutting across the silence, setting the tempo. In another corner a fiddler begins to play. The tune is slow, and strangely familiar. The song seems fitting. A slender form steps out onto the floor and the fiddle fades away. The figure freezes, seemingly mid-step, and waits. The knife is caught and held fast.
Once more the fiddler begins to play. The knife flies up through the air, flashing in the firelight. The figure begins to dance, gracefully gliding along the hardwood floor. The figure swirls around the fire, flickering in and out of the shadows. The dance is rustic, evoking feelings of times gone by, an era long past. Fantastic shapes appear on the walls and floor as metallic ruffles on the figure's clothing glow in the dim light, reflecting a myriad of colours. It is a stunning performance.
The fire continues to crackle happily as the music begins to fade. Slowly the figure twirls to a halt, bows to the audience and departs the floor, fading into the shadows. Another figure steps out into the firelight. This one is dressed differently than the first, a visage from a different time and place.
Music fills the air as the drummer sets a beat and the fiddler begins to play. The knife thrower changes how the blade is thrown. Now it spins through the air differently, signifying a change. The figure smoothly begins to move.
This is the moment.