5: I don’t need this information

2: Let me tell you first hand

1: Hear me out

5: Look

1: Here is my hand

They raise their right hands.

3: Here is my hand

1: I believe in it

3: I have confirmed it

1: With the authorities

1: Hear me out

3: Here

1: Here we are without

4: We

5: Are

3: Without

1: The people who were

2: Until a very short time ago

3: Perhaps just before the winter

5: The first snowfall

4: The snow

1: Blowing upwards

3: If they saw the snow

2: If they

5: Blowing upwards

2: They may have known

3: Tiny miracles

1: It was near

2: They may have felt

1: The nights

5: Growing longer

4: They may have felt

1: Your love

3: They may have seen the snow

5: Blowing upwards

1: But you cannot be sure

2: After the fact

3: Mostly

2: Running

5: Falling

4: Personally

1: Jumping to conclusions

5: I have doubts

1: I know

2: I was running

3: Always have

1: Even as a child

5: Running

3: The water

4: To do everything

1: Just to grab a cup

2: So afraid

4: In case it suddenly wasn’t there

1: Water from the tap

3: Running

4: If it suddenly wasn’t there

5: My bed

2: Your love

3: Just fine

1: Thanks

4: Okay then

1: Well

ALL: Bye

2: Bye for now

1: Bye

3: See you

4: Goodbye

2: And thanks

5: Okay then

2: For everything, I mean it’s been

1: Well

ALL EXCEPT 2: Goodbye

1: Love you

3: See you later

5: See you

4: Hopefully

1: Thanks for everything

3: Bye now

2: Bye

4: Give a good shake

5: Give a good

1: Shake

2: And if I could just say

ALL: Shake

3: Two things

4: Shake

3: Two things

5: Shake shake

1: Three things

ALL: Shake

1: Three things

4: Shake shake shake

5: Three things

ALL: Shake

5: Three things

2: Shake shake shake

1: Four things

ALL: Shake shake momma shake shake

2: Four things

1: Shake shake momma shake shake

3 & 4:    Five, on a hand

(All clap)

ALL: Shake shake momma shake momma shake shake

2 & 5:    Five, on a hand

(All clap)

ALL: Shake shake momma shake momma shake shake

5: This is the corrective

Everyone incants the following lines together, stomping on the italicized ‘shakes’ and clapping immediately after the line ‘Five on a hand.’

This repeats fifteen times, with gradual choreographic variations. A joyous ritual emerges, which grows increasingly ecstatic. Eventually a frenzied freeform dance breaks out. But no matter how far the ritual escalates, the performers never lose the rhythm they establish with the stomps and claps.

ALL: Shake

Two things

Shake shake

Two things

Shake

Three things

Shake shake shake

Three things

Shake

Three things

Shake

Three things

Shake shake momma shake shake

Four things

Shake shake momma shake shake

Five, on a hand (all clap)

Shake shake momma shake momma shake shake

Five, on a hand (all clap)

(x15)

5: This is the corrective

ALL: Shake with tears

Shake with tears momma

2: This is the record

ALL: Shake with tears

And

And

And shake

With laughs

Shake shake with good laughs momma

Shake

Three things

Shake shake shake

Three things

Shake with tears shake shake with tears

Shake with tears

Shake (final stomp)

The ritual is now over. The performers are exhausted.

3: This is what grief looks like

ALL: Shake shake shake