Eiko and Koma’s presentation of “Naked” at the Baryshnikov Arts Center can best be described as breathtaking and shocking. The installation piece, which ran for 4 weeks on the BAC’s first floor provided an intimate and refreshing perspective of Eiko and Koma that fans and critics alike have never seen before.

Lying down in the middle of an almost opaque room, spotlight beaming on them from above, Eiko and Koma couldn’t have given their piece a more appropriate name. Situated in the center of the floor lying amid dirt, uncooked rice, salt and small branches, the duo is completely in the nude making as little movement as possible. Honestly, when first catching a glimpse of this setup (through one of the many holes in a distressed, earthy curtain that blocks Eiko and Koma from full view) my initial thought was a single word: boring. The duo’s barely noticeable movement and stoic expressions left me initially wanting more. After a few more moments of expectantly gazing at the work, I realized that I had become strongly infatuated with the piece, despite my initial boredom.

“Naked” is the most subtle of dance performances, using movements as minute as possible to tell what Eiko and Koma have described as a story of aging and the body approaching death. After spending decades as professional dancers, going from young performers to older dance veterans, Naked tells the story of the pair’s transformation to their present selves, and how their bodies have changed along with the times. Ironically, the image that Eiko and Koma presents also resembles one of birth. Their bare bodies, the nest of earthly debris surrounding them, and the complete silence gives the impression that these two are fragile beings just entering the world. Then again, maybe that is the point: to show Eiko and Koma’s departure from youth and transition to older age.

No matter if audiences agree with this meaning or create another from imagination, all will agree that Eiko and Koma’s Naked is a calm yet thrilling work that will leave you captivated.