SMITCHing

My wife is an exceptional choreographer. While pursuing her BFA in Dance, she worked with Eugene Loring, one of the 20th Century's most important artists. He expressly loved the work she did. She's good. Even so, she would admit that choreographing a duet, a pas de deux as it's called in dance, is much more difficult than solo or even ensemble works. Why? Because union is hard. It's hard to choreograph a good pas de deux—or write a good duet,—for the same reason it's hard to have a good marriage: autonomy. We humans have a propensity for radical autonomy. It's expressed as much through the gender transformation of Caitlyn Jenner as it is the deep-rooted patriotism of the Texas pan handle. Don't tread on me. You can't make me. You're not the boss of me.  Every parent who's ever thanked God that two year-olds aren't 6' 4" and 220, knows what I mean. In the words of U2's Vertigo , "Just give me what I want and nobody get...