Using movement and personal storytelling to explore identity, growth and lived experiences, performers took the stage to reflect on their time at Marshall in two performances March 28-29. 

Held at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center, the concert drew a strong audience Saturday night and featured a packed program of student, faculty and guest works showcasing a variety of styles and themes.

Throughout the evening, audience members responded with applause and visible reactions to moments across the performances, many holding bouquets of flowers in anticipation of congratulating those on stage.

The performance featured a mix of group and solo pieces, with dancers using lighting, music and movement to convey a wide range of emotions, from joy and nostalgia to grief and reflection. 

For some performers, those stories were deeply personal.

Psychology major Nicholas Bain performed a solo piece titled, “Who Am I,” that reflected on his early life and personal journey.

“My solo … reflected on my childhood and how I got here,” Bain said. 

The piece incorporated old home video footage Bain edited himself, using it as inspiration for his choreography and blending past and present into a single performance.

“I pulled from about 16 hours of VHS-C footage,” he said.

The concert, presented by Marshall’s School of Theatre and Dance, included 19 pieces spanning multiple styles, from contemporary works to musical theater performances and emotionally driven pieces such as “Cardinals,” which explores themes of loss and remembrance. 

Along with its emotional storytelling, the concert also highlighted the physical demands of dance.

Bain, who also performed in a duet titled, “Reverse Faults,” with Clara Minnich, said the piece required significant strength and trust between partners.

“We had upwards of 20 lifts in there, so it required a lot of strength,” Bain said.

The duet featured complex lifts and intricate partner work that required precision and timing, drawing visible reactions from the audience.

Bain said the energy surrounding the performance, both on stage and in the audience, has grown over time.

“It’s just been awesome to see how into it people are getting and how many people are coming,” he said.

Other performers pointed to the range of styles featured in the show. Destiny Williams, who performed in the musical theater piece “Spark of Creation,” said the concert brought together multiple forms of performance.

“There were so many different styles in it, so I think it showed a lot of diversity,” Williams said. 

For audience members, the concert left a strong emotional impact.

Emily Lewis, athletic trainer for Marshall’s performing artists, said one of her favorite pieces was Bain’s solo, which she said resonated deeply.

“I mean, both of us were crying the whole time,” Lewis said, referring to herself and her husband, Wyatt Lewis.

Wyatt said the emotional impact of the show stood out to him as well.

“I grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio, and this isn’t really something that’s well known around there,” he said. 

Emily said the concert highlights the level of talent within Marshall’s dance program and the importance of live performance in the community.

“In a place like Huntington … We don’t think about the arts that we have here,” she said.

Beyond watching the performances, Emily plays a role behind the scenes, working with dancers as an athletic trainer to help prevent injuries and support their physical well-being throughout rehearsals and performances.

“At the end of the day, I’m helping keep them healthy and safe,” she said.

She said being part of both the performance and support sides of dance has given her a deeper appreciation for the work students put into the concert.

“I know that these dancers have worked so incredibly hard at this,” Lewis said.

For Bain, the concert marked a turning point as he prepares to move on from his time at Marshall.

Performing alongside fellow dancers gave him a chance to reflect on his journey while sharing that experience on stage, a moment that also signals the end of his time as a student performer.

“It’s a really nice way to almost end off my senior year; I’m pretty much leaving the stage,” Bain said.

He added it has been rewarding to see the program continue to grow.

That sense of reflection carried into the audience, offering a moment of connection and escape.

“It just makes you forget about the world for a minute,” Emily said.

David Lozano can be contacted at [email protected]