Postulating that the body has a mind of its own - to which everyone who’s ever had a violent bout of stomach flu can attest - dancers portray the peculiarities, outbursts, and general awkwardness of the meat suits we all clomp around in. From broken to virtuosic, our bodies are amazing - and dance is an excellent medium for that particular message.

The Riley Project and Aura Fischbeck Dance bring their physically dynamic brands of movement to Counterpulse this weekend to investigate the weirdness of the body, the weirdness of love, the madness of crowds, and the occasional pratfall.

The Riley Project presents four fiery and affectionate duets about love in each of its four major incarnations -  family, friendship, passion, and devoted romance. Experimenting with the body as an entity more out of our control than we’d like to believe, the fiercely expressive Aura Fischbeck Dance premieres Bodies Won’t Behave.  All worth seeing if you're a modern dance fan - and even if you're not. (Hey, horizon expansion is supposed to be good for the soul.) 

January 21-23. Counterpulse, 1310 Mission Street. Tickets are $10-20 at 1-800-838-3006 or brownpapertickets.com.