Born as a pandemic diversion in 2020, “Knockout” is finally a fully baked dance performance, premiering with a two-week run kicking off the spring edition of Steppenwolf’s LookOut Series. This hour-long duet started as a brief thought experiment joining two powerhouse performers who’ve long been staples of Chicago’s DIY dance scene. It’s ready for prime time. “Knockout” is wholly nostalgic for those of us who have reached middle age but are not quite ready for the “get off my lawn” phase of life. As the audience enters, a single barstool with a pitcher of water and pint glasses placed center stage are the only things upon which to gaze in Steppenwolf’s intimate 1700 Theatre, a black-box venue tucked behind the Front Bar, one door north of their Lincoln Park hub. A rectangle of white light is cast on the back wall — like the imprint of an old school slide projector as your algebra teacher starts to scribble the quadratic equation with a felt-tipped pen. It’s deceptively simple — pro forma for LookOut, which trends toward genre-defying, time-based works by established (and often under-appreciated) independent artists. I wouldn’t exactly call Erin Kilmurray and Kara Brody under-appreciated in the zeitgeist. Brody’s primary presence has been with Lucky Plush Productions, which has been rather quiet the last few years but acts as the presenter of “Knockout.” And Brody’s penchant for rough-and-tumble pas de deux like this one has been well-established, perhaps most notably in a stunning 2019 Khecari duet with Amanda Maraist called “Marginalia.” Wittingly or unwittingly, Kilmurray has crafted a cult of personality since launching the wildly popular “Fly Honey Show” in 2010, a raucous burlesque show and cabaret that flipped the script on the art of the tease. If “Marginalia” was injected with a dash of Kilmurray, you get something like “Knockout.” “Knockout” reads like a not-too-distant “Fly Honey” cousin, culled from Kilmurrary’s indefatigable interest in countercultural club life that, I hope, is still thriving in the era of online, algorithm-driven social architecture.  Kilmurray and Brody take a decidedly offline approach articulating a nonlinear, sweaty journey of meeting a stranger (by chance or by choice) and feeling each other out — figuratively and literally. With direction support from Katrina Dion, Kilmurray and Brody anchor their trip with references from the groundbreaking ABC drama “My So-Called Life.” The deeply Gen-X show was unapologetically real, exceedingly cool and instructive for teens from the “whatever” generation who had, up to then, not often seen themselves authentically in mainstream culture. It was canceled after just 19 episodes — coincidentally (or not) colliding with Disney acquiring ABC in 1996 — but left an enduring mark on ‘90s kids just trying to figure out where they fit in. If, like me, you were one of those kids, “Knockout” hits differently. Trust me. Kara Brody and Erin Kilmurray in “Knockout,” presented by Lucky Plush Productions as part of the spring LookOut series in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. (Sarah Larson)Kara Brody and Erin Kilmurray in “Knockout,” presented by Lucky Plush Productions as part of the spring LookOut series in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. (Sarah Larson)Erin Kilmurray and Kara Brody in “Knockout,” presented by Lucky Plush Productions as part of the spring LookOut series in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. (Sarah Larson)Show Caption1 of 3Kara Brody and Erin Kilmurray in “Knockout,” presented by Lucky Plush Productions as part of the spring LookOut series in Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre. (Sarah Larson)Expand But no matter your age, it’s that intuitive, thrillingly chaotic, deeply vulnerable type of relationship building that I think we all kind of miss. It’s messy. Mistakes get made. Feelings get hurt. Awkwardness abounds. All of that is in “Knockout,” with a few She-Ra versus Wonder Woman action scenes thrown in. “Knockout,” you soon learn, is a double entendre. Indeed, the piece is chock full of layers and complexity, smart composition and plain old good dancing — frustratingly good in its attention to detail. That goes for sound designer Corey Smith, lighting designer Liz Gomez and costumer Mary Williamson, too, whose symbiotic world-building reflects what can happen when enough time, resources and attention are poured into two of Chicago’s most captivating performers. Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic. Review: Lucky Plush Productions presents “Knockout” (4 stars) When: Through Feb. 2 Where: Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted St. Running time: 65 minutes Tickets: All performances are sold out; $30 stand-by tickets are sold at the box office beginning an hour before each show; more information at www.steppenwolf.org