Lightning Dance investigates the influence of electric weather on bodily imagination. It features Craig Black Eagle, Oshane Overload-Skankaz, and their respective dance teams. In the company of the artist, they perform solo and group dance routines while heavy rain falls. As the dancers take center stage, their movements reference popular Jamaican dancehall, which Cecilia Bengolea sees as infused with magical healing powers. The unapologetically rough setting of the piece, combined with its illuminating effect—reinforced by black-and-white aesthetics—highlights the dynamic gestures of the performers, captivating the viewer’s gaze, while the sounds of the thunderstorm become the beats to which the choreography is synchronized. The only trace left of dancehall music is the low-frequency bass in the background, amplified by the intensity of the choreography. By dissolving the boundaries between nature and the human, Lightning Dance captivates the viewer to the point of channeling life through movement and light.

The other mind of the octopus suggests a body without boundaries—a fully liquid being, born out of a state of constant rehearsal. The spirit and rhythms that infuse this body move in several directions at once. Sweat and tropical rain further dissolve the boundaries between inside and outside, perhaps reminding us that bodily fluids are electrical conductors, functioning within the body much like synapses in the brain—creating new pathways and communication highways that redefine sentience. Working on steps is just one part of the endeavor to synchronize and compose the self within a state of greater liquidity.