The MTSU Student Dance Gala opened with an air of elegance Thursday night as dancers dressed in sleek black leotards and red velvet drifted across the Tucker Theatre stage to the jazzy rhythm of “Fever” by Beyoncé. Their movements and bright visuals set the tone for an evening of creativity and artistic expression.
After slow, graceful movements, the dancers transitioned into faster, energetic sequences. They shifted the mood to an upbeat tempo that contrasted the performance’s opening.
As the energy soared, one of the standout performers, Xan Barrell, captivated the audience by telling a story through movements. Some were joyful and others were more intense as she expressed a range of emotions throughout the piece.
“The piece was really about my struggles and a part of my life that really kept me down,” Barrell said. “It’s really just about me overcoming that and coming to the conclusion that I need to fight for my own happiness.”
Barrell aimed to use the gala as a platform to share her story. She initially pitched the idea to professors, answered questions and received feedback, which helped her and other dance students bring the showcase to life.
Barrell reflected on the essence of the Student Dance Gala, where dancers not only showcased their talents, but also demonstrated the power of collaboration and self-expression.
“It’s such a gift being able to really have this opportunity to express myself,” Barrell said. “Especially in such a creative and freedom form as the student gala because everything is student run … I get to showcase the art that I want — not everybody gets that opportunity.”
Each performance in the gala brought something unique, contributing to the show’s dynamic energy. One particularly striking piece began with dancers lying side by side, dressed in a combination of orange and green. They gestured with their hands and feet — each movement in perfect sync with the instrumentals.
Natalie McCutcheon and Morgan Hayes choreographed the piece. They shared their focus on creative freedom and the importance of fun in bringing the performance to life.
“We choreographed ‘Pois Carottes,’ which is ‘peas and carrots’ in French,” Hayes said. “Our dance was just about dancing for the fun of dance itself.”
McCutcheon and Hayes aimed to get a chuckle out of the audience.
“We just tried to combine a bunch of different emotions and then make them dramaticized,” McCutcheon said. “We wanted to make people giggle — which, we heard people in the audience giggle. So I think we got our point across.”
McCutcheon and Hayes wanted to have fun with the piece, as they don’t often have the opportunity to create playful, free-form performances.
“We wanted to do this piece because a lot of times our dances are very dark and serious,” McCutcheon said.
“Let’s just dance, have fun and be silly and don’t care if dancers mess up,” Hayes added. “Because it’s fun and we’ll just laugh.”
The playful energy of the piece was evident not only on stage, but also in audience members. The crowd’s laughter and applause reflected the joy and freedom that McCutcheon and Hayes aimed to create.
Audience members Veronica Claire and Asya Ross attended the gala in support of Barrell, their friend and roommate. The duo expressed awe for the energy and creativity of the showcase.
“The last performance was very fun and very groovy,” Ross said. “And I liked how the movements were very shy, but they each still did their performance.”
Claire and Ross both emphasized the importance of showcasing more student work, like the gala, on campus.
“People put so much of their heart and soul into their degrees, and no one really sees it that much on an individual basis,” Claire said. “… And in showcases like this, you can really see the amount of dedication to their craft. If it were up to me, every major would have something like this, because I think it’s really important.”
MTSU’s Student Dance Gala continues Friday, March 28 in the Tucker Theatre. Tickets are available online or at the door, and MTSU students, faculty and staff can receive one free ticket with valid ID at the box office.
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