Sometime around the age of twelve or thirteen, I entered a stage of awkwardness so extreme that even the act of walking seemed doubtful. What had been automatic, to put one foot in front of another, to maintain a steady rhythm and to appear natural, required total concentration. Years later, I got to know Donald Mouton, a dancer with the Mark Morris Dance Company. He told me that one of the most challenging exercises for his students was being asked to walk across the floor with hands and feet in opposition, until one of them decided to just walk as they would normally, without thinking.
—Adam Simon