The ominous mood of the dance was established before the dance had actually begun. Even as the audience enter the dimly lit theater to take there seats around the dance platform they were exposed to uneasy material. The audience was greeted with a view of a naked women sitting on the stage, strumming somber chords on a guitar. This introductory image was a preview of the astonishing things to come in RoseAnne Spradlin’s “Beginning of Something”.

The lights dimmed, the small musical group began to play, and the woman who was playing the guitar, now clad in silver adornments, strode across the stage while exchanging expressionless stares with the audience. This lone dancer would eventually be joined by others who were sparsely dressed. The dancers made different movements, occasionally coming together to stride across the stage in unison, or to take turns lifting each other. Their spins and leaps were interrupted by moments of intensity. They occasionally went into fits of convulsing and jerky, violent movement. The dancers all exited the stage and returned fully clothed. Once they returned, they continued to dance across the platform. The dancers then began screaming and unclothed themselves while shaking violently, but soon redressed themselves.

RoseAnne Spradlin’s “Beginning of Something” was a startling, but entertaining dance. The spectrum of the choreography in the dance varied from graceful all the way to violent. I believe Spradlin’s dance was meant to portray self consciousness and its effect on individuals. The dance had many shifts in atmosphere that I believe represented the highs and lows we experience as we struggle to feel comfortable in our own skin.