Keeley DeHart
Physical Limits, 2021
Acrylic paint on canvas

Like art, dance is a form in which expression and escapism are present. Not only is dance something that has allowed me to express myself and bond with others, it allows me to push myself and my body to my own limits. As I reach my limits through various dance styles, that threshold grows smaller and my skills improve. I wanted to highlight the macabre beauty in the anatomical limits of the body’s movement through various dance styles, such as tutting, ballet, and contemporary as depicted. Through the small canvases and intricate details throughout the arms and feet, the viewer is encouraged to view the body of work from a close proximity. This close proximity forces the viewer to come face to face with the beauty of the strained muscles and ligaments, and the pain from bruises and cuts caused by this strain.