Dance Steps by Barbara Aria Photos by Claire Le Pichon A gasp, a giggle, a whisper; twirling, sliding, undulating. If these words evoke the feminine, then Noémie Lafrance’s breathtakingly sensual dance, “Descent,” is the epitome of it. Performed by 12 female dancers on the vertiginous beaux-arts staircase of Stanford White’s once grand building at 308 Broadway (now the NYC Court Building), the award-winning, site-specific work, says the choreographer, is “a celebration of the beauty of women.” Lafrance was visiting a friend in an artist studio on the building’s 13th floor when she looked down over the banister and had the idea for a vertical project in the stairway, which the audience would view by gradually descending to the first floor. Now, through Nov. 15, audiences can lean into the courthouse stairwell and see what she has created. With a score by Brooks Williams that is as cinematic as the dance itself—the stairwell frames “shots” of a hand sliding down a banister; a bare, aproned back plunging into the stairwell void; a kaleidoscopic picture of dancers on each landing echoing one another’s languorous, hair-washing gestures—“Descent” creates images of desire from women’s domestic ritual. The work also links dance and architecture stunningly. The rhythm of form in space, the way viewpoint creates visual experience, the impact of perspective—by emphasizing these elements of the choreographic endeavor, Lafrance gives us a fresh look at architectural design and reminds us that a staircase, like a woman, can be an object of desire. “Descent” is performed Thurs. and Sun. 7 & 8:30pm; Fri. and Sat. at 7, 8:30 and 10pm until Nov. 15. 108 Lafayette St. $20 advance, $25 at door. Students $5. 212-868-4444.