It’s a fact: I love looking at the way people move. Strangers on the sidewalk, athletes, or dancers are all fascinating. That’s because gestures, gaits, or whatever gets the job done communicate an enormous amount about a person.

So I’ve gone a little giddy over the fact that Matthew Bourne’s “Play Without Words” – which opens tonight at BAM – is in town. Labeled a “musical-theater set piece,” it’s a visual three-ring circus and a brilliant examination of how everyday movement can become choreography.

As the title suggests, “Play Without Words” tells a story (about class and sex in London circa 1965) without words. The ideas are communicated through music, costume, and a specific vocabulary of movement that is derived from films and ordinary life. And here’s the genius of it all: the actors in the leading roles are cast in triplicate. When we see Anthony, the nerdy, but wealthy English bachelor, we see three of him on stage at the same time. The three Anthonys interact with three versions of his snobby, glamorous fiancee Glenda. Prentice, the servant who eventually begins to control the household, is a three-man part, too.

Some of the other characters are shown in twos, and some are singles, but the story unfolds for each set simultaneously. Sometimes the partners shift, allowing the multiple characters to intertwine. And though these scenes are tightly choreographed, they’re not “dance-y” at all; they’re riffs on what people do when they arrive at a friend’s house, fix up an unfurnished room, or greet a lover.

“You can show what the character is wishing or thinking as well as what’s happening,” Mr. Bourne said during a dress rehearsal. “You can condense time and mix those things together.”

But why does something so simple as sitting down for coffee at a cafe rate as choreography? What makes it worth watching on stage?

“Ordinary movements can become choreography when you duplicate it,” said the choreographer, who is perhaps best known for his all-male “Swan Lake.”

A scene in Act 1 illustrates this point particularly well. Two sets of Anthony and Prentice are on stage. In the downstage pair, Prentice is dressing Anthony. In the upstage pair, Prentice is undressing Anthony. The two pairs interact in a brilliantly choreographed exchange: as one set removes clothing, the other set puts it on. At no time, however, does anyone break into the sort of dance number that we expect from a musical.

The idea of presenting more than one version of each character came to Mr. Bourne in a workshop session – before bringing the work to Britain’s National Theatre in 2003. While working on the idea of the relationship between master and servant, he asked three pairs of men to act out gestures and movements that fit the theme. As they got to the task, each pair did things a little differently and wove around the other pairs unconsciously. He quickly realized that seeing multiples of the characters added depth and complexity to the roles.

It also adds a bit of confusion for the eye. But don’t worry. “In some sections, you can choose what you want to watch,” said Mr. Bourne. “But when we want you to look at something, that’s what you see.”

He also suggests not feeling overwhelmed at first: “Relax for the first ten minutes.”

But it’s not just the novelty of having three of each lead on stage at the same time that makes this fascinating. It’s the movement itself.

The style was inspired by the way that actors in British films from the 1960s moved. After watching several of the films, Mr. Bourne asked his dancers (and, by the way, they are trained dancers – not actors) to watch specific scenes and learn them in movement, not dialogue.

Nothing in “Play Without Words” is copied directly from a film. But the gestures – as slight as an elegant woman flinging her coat down in a manner that suggests someone else will pick it up – were absorbed and learned from film.

The costumes aid the style of movement, too. “The clothes from that period make you move in a different way than we do today,” said Mr. Bourne. “We made no concessions to dance.”

There are no elastic waistbands or stretchy skirts. The pencil skirts are tight around the bum, and the bras are built up. The men are wearing suits, briefs, and suspenders.

It all adds up to a work in which there is so much to look at. With different dancers giving the role different accents and emphasis, “Play Without Words” is a visual playground.

***

This week is an embarrassment of riches in the dance world. “Play Without Words” would be plenty to occupy our eyes, but there’s also the not-to-be-missed engagement of Peter Boal & Company at the Joyce Theater this week.

Mr. Boal, one of New York City Ballet’s leading men, is presenting five pieces on the program, and each brings together a well-selected match-up of dancer and choreographer.

Mr. Boal himself will appear in a solo, “Finding,” by Wendy Peron, which she created for him several years ago but was not widely seen. When preparing the dance for a renewed life, Mr. Boal and Ms. Perron consulted the videotapes, and Mr. Boal got a bit of a surprise. “As you get older, your taste gets better. I was kicking my leg to show how high I could kick my leg,” he said, adding that he has now adjusted for artistry.

One new work one the program will be a solo for Wendy Whelan created by Shen Wei, the brilliant choreographer known for more experimental, contemporary works. “I asked Wendy who she was interested in working with. She said Shen Wei. So we hunted him down,” said Mr. Boal.

The work, “Body Study 3,” is the first time Mr. Wei has choreographed for anyone in pointe shoes. And at first he wanted Ms. Whelan to just take them off. But they stayed. So if you think you know how Ms. Whelan dances, don’t get too comfortable. Before this, says Mr. Boal, “we thought we’d seen Wendy move in every way possible.”

Together, Mr. Boal and Ms. Whelan will perform a duet by Edward Liaang, who also dances at NYCB. Also on the bill is a solo for Sean Suozzi created by Daniel Nagrin, as well as a trio by multi-genre choreographer Victor Quijada.

Seeing this program falls on the must-do list because of the artistry on stage, but also because Mr. Boal will shortly be leaving the East Coast. He’s bidding farewell to NYCB this spring and heading out to Seattle to run the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

“We’re going to move the end of June. Then, I want to finish teaching at SAB, and I don’t want to miss Jock’s retirement,” he said of his colleague Jock Soto, who will be stepping down from the stage this spring as well.

Mr. Boal is a leader in the dance world and a master of his craft. If you’ve got the time and money, my advice is to see him on stage as many times as possible before he goes.