A thesis dance concert entitled “Graceless Grace” captivated its audience this past weekend in every aspect. The show was the thesis of Masters of Fine Arts candidates Miranda Lindberg and Tawnya Kannarr.

The first half was choreographed by Lindberg and was subtitled “When Reflections Scream, Silence is Queen.” It was very much inspired by Alice in Wonderland and featured many major characters such as Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, White Rabbit and more.

The show commenced with a short video on a screen, which resurfaced throughout the performance. It started off with Alice alone on the stage with dramatic lights and music. Gradually, more and more wonderland characters made their way onto the stage and proceeded to dance and interact with each other, which exercised their confident acting skills.

Not only did the dancers accurately portray their characters, but the choreography and execution of choreography also encapsulated the essence of the characters and the fairytale they were in. However, there was just enough of a dark twist to it so it didn’t feel like any typical story, it had a deeper meaning that kept audience members wondering even after it ended.

The second half was choreographed by Kannarr and was subtitled “My Soul Speaks.”

This half, while a bit simpler in costumes and plot, enticed and provoked deep thought just as much. It dealt more with raw and unabashed human emotion and had each dancer portray a different one, such as lost, hope, anger or hopelessness, peace, strength and more.

This half started off with a dancer which portrayed ‘lost’, alone on stage with a brief solo, after which the other emotions took their places on stage.

The music for each piece was suitable and set an appropriate mood for each one throughout the entire auditorium. Just at the first half, the lighting continued to be what each piece needed and played a substantial role that shaped the emotions into a more vivid form than they were on their own.

The performance in this half was particularly strong. Each movement was intentional and meaningful, and even conjured up the feelings which were portrayed in the audience. Much of the beauty was in the honesty of the concept and the choreography itself and the way it invited the audience to remember a time when they felt each emotion.

The concert was a night of beauty, creativity, themes and storylines that kept its audience entertained and entranced throughout the entire evening.