VCU Dance’s “At the Edge of Grace” kept audiences smiling, and it wasn’t just because many of the cast members always had a smile on their faces while dancing. The tempo was mesmerizing, and the funny stories and antics of the dancers kept watchers wanting more. The music, lighting and background, as well as interesting special effects and fading light transitions, added to the mood of the performance.
For the men of the audience, there was Damion Bond. She was one of many dancers to receive hoots and catcalls. She started out on a darkened stage lying prone on the floor. She then crossed the stage seductively, rising and falling.
James Frazier and Cynthia Theakston in “Birds of a Feather” were the most amusing of all the dancers. Their show truly made the evening. The dancers wore similar clothes and playfully danced around with two blue scarves, mimicking each other and bringing many laughs.
The “Other Side of Shadow” featured a mass of dancers, unlike the other acts with only one or two. It used many interesting special effects as part of the scene employed lights and a projector to show a forested path, making it seem like the dancers were following it. Another section of the scene had relaxing images, soft lights and dancers wearing white to effect a fairy-land atmosphere. Duos lifted each other.
“Come and Go with Me” by Melanie Richards told the simple story of a woman going picnicking as she incorporated a bike into her dance.
Judith Steel’s “A Short Night at the Jukebox Caf