As written and acted, the role adds a shimmering Jamesian portrait of a trapped American woman to the canvas, and it is but one of many significant alterations Minghella has made to the novel.

This haunting little vignette, performed by the dazzling athletic dancer John Selya, is just a blip in the continuous flow that is "Movin' Out," the choreographer Twyla Tharp's shimmering portrait of an American generation set to Mr. Joel's music.

This shimmering portrait of an American generation, a modern narrative ballet set to the music of Billy Joel, follows the snoozily familiar stories of five blue-collar friends from high school through the Vietnam War and its long hangover.

In his review in The New York Times, Ben Brantley called "Movin' Out" a "shimmering portrait of an American generation."

Like a piece of music, "Ava" uses repetition and thematic layering to create a shimmering, impressionistic portrait that eschews linear narrative in favor of the sensations aroused by resonant imagery.