The Orchesis I Dance Company had yet another weekend of stellar performances at Fisher Theater. Their annual Barjché production continued to show off each dancer’s talents and emotions through modern dance. They continued with their tradition of coordinating a theme for their show, which was entitled “Threads.”

Cynthia Adams, the Artistic Director of Barjché, scribed in her notes that the theme Threads is here to “celebrate our individuality and our interconnectedness as human beings.”

From beginning to end, the audience was shown how human beings are connected with one another.

If there was one word to describe the overall appeal of the show, it would be compelling. Gabrielle Baker, a freshman studying animal ecology at Iowa State, especially thought this way.

Baker said that she hadn’t been exposed to a lot of modern dance before the show, so this really opened her eyes to what modern dance is.

A definition of modern dance could be written as such: It is a style of dance that frees an individual and lets them express themselves in a way that other types of dance, such as ballet, cannot.

Another student that attended the show also described it as interesting. Megan Donze, a senior majoring in business management, said that she liked how each choreographer used the main theme but each one “interpreted it differently.”

A dance that really caught people’s attention was entitled “Dare to Create.” The performance was choreographed by senior Tympest Crawford, who is majoring in performing arts.

The absolutely beautiful performance began with the dancers wearing plain white shirts and spandex. They moved with such ease and grace to the instrumental version of the song “Dare You to Move” by alternative-rock band Switchfoot. At the back of the stage were three blank, square canvases. There was also paint available for each dancer to use to express themselves. They smeared the colors all over the canvases, making the blank squares into beautiful pieces of abstract art.

The colors connected each dancer to one another as the dance continued. By the end of it, all of the dancer’s  plain, white shirts were covered in a rainbow of color.

Caitlyn Skiff, a junior majoring in performing arts, praised the choreography. She said that the dance complemented the music very well. Skiff also noted that this performance is her new favorite from the company.

The last dance of the show was in remembrance of Laurie Sanda, a former faculty member for the ISU Dance Faculty. The dance was choreographed by alumni Kareem Dixon and performed by alumni whom Sanda had taught before she passed away. The dance was beautiful and energetic, which is exactly what Sanda loved.

The next Orchesis I performance will be in the spring and will take place in the Betty Toman Studio Theater in Forker 196. The date and time for the spring performance are to be released soon.