Fiona Carlone Outside Dance Critique May 1, 2019

On April 27th I had the pleasure of seeing UNCG’s Senior BFA Thesis Concert, “Twenty-

One.” The annual performance featured pieces choreographed by senior BFA dance students.

Each piece had its own unique quality, story, and movement that made it stand out amongst

the rest. While the show was overall well-done, there were a few pieces that especially struck a

chord with me.

“No Thanks Needed” by Taylor Roberson and Dancers. The moment this piece began it

was enticing. There were only four dancers, a table, and an abundance of smoke. Immediately, I

found this interesting as the other dances featured 7 or more dancers. The small amount of

people on stage and the intelligent use of the table created an easy focal point to follow

throughout the piece. Not only was there a clear focal point, but there was also clear intent in

the choreography. Just by observing, I was able to understand the piece’s overall message.

When people are drowning, there will be another to help them, always. No matter the

circumstances, someone will be able to pick them up without any sort of thank you needed.

When it comes to life, this is a very relatable message and reminds me of many important

morals that we see coming from the people we love every day. Obviously, I enjoyed this piece

immensely. However, I do feel that if the dancers were able to perfect their technique, spacing,

and timing, it could have taken the piece to the next level. I saw un-pointed toes, bent knees,

stiff shoulders, etc. The choreography showed off strengths in technique, but the weaknesses

were also clear to me. My biggest concern was with the timing. Consistently, the dancers would

hit accents and powerful moments at different times. It ruined some of the impact as an

audience member and fellow dancer.

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Fiona Carlone Outside Dance Critique May 1, 2019

“Hyper-“ was a sensually interesting, riveting piece, choreographed by Nia Sadler. The

dance began and the theme was clear. The dancers were dedicated. The music choice was

powerful. I felt the energy of the dancers radiating into the audience. Every movement they

emoted from the inside out. And you could tell. It was moving. For them, I think the piece had a

deep meaning. The piece, to me, was about the stereotypes that black women are consistently

forced into by men, and to a larger extent, society. This idea is one that is very relevant in

today’s world. A world where the color of our skin has created such a deep division between

human connection. Normally, an idea such as this is shown through darkness and pain. This felt

almost like a celebration. I thought it was brilliant. The piece also projected images of text

messages of men stereotyping black women repeatedly. This hit many people. For the black

women in the audience, I knew most been in similar situations as the ones projected. Many of

my friends tell me countless stories of white men trying to compliment black women, but in

reality, they act truly racist and ignorant. I’d be naïve if I thought that many of the white men in

the audience hadn’t ever said something along these lines to a black woman. Overall, it was

impactful for people of all kinds. At the same time, I think that some of the choreography could

have been brought to the next level. It felt repetitive. Every 8 counts there was another

outburst of twerking. While it made the message clear, I think the dancers could’ve been shown

in more than one way. The music offered lots of dynamics, but the movement didn’t always

follow. I still enjoyed it immensely.

The third piece is “Come to the Well” choreographed by Shaylin Watson. Personally, I

thought the choreography was stellar. Out of all the choreography I observed, this was my

favorite. With its African roots and unique choice of music, it was mesmerizing. What I found

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Fiona Carlone Outside Dance Critique May 1, 2019

most interesting was the live Dj playing music from upstage. It brought the piece to life and I

have never seen a choreographer make that choice before. As far as the concept goes, I

thought it was different (in the best way possible). For starters, no other piece had anything like

it, or close to it. It was truly an individual piece. Every movement seemed to be centered

around the “well.” As an observing audience member, I felt like the well was a cultural concept.

For the person sitting next to me, it could’ve been about coming together for one goal. That

was the beauty of it, the audience could have analyzed it however they wished to. My

corrections are far and few. Shaylin chose to have a large number of dancers on stage during

the piece. In terms of spacing and effect, it did the piece justice. However, I didn’t feel each

dancer giving the same amount of effort. They were breathing at different rates, mentally and

physically. I felt myself watching only a few dancers. While this made finding a focal point easy,

I would like to think that if everyone had been putting the same amount of energy and breath

into the choreography, the effect could have been powerful.

As a whole, the BFA concert was a success. There is no doubt that I would choose to go

again another year. I know that each of the choreographers will do superb things in their

career, and I wish them the best of luck. With that, I leave the performance space feeling

satisfied and driven.