Orlando Fringe 2026 review: ‘Awaken’

Mars Powers, Jasper Arrigo, and Lauren Theriault in Awaken at Orlando Fringe Credit: Courtesy Photo

The quantity and quality of contemporary dance companies participating in Orlando Fringe has risen and fallen over the years, so it’s gratifying to see director Cindy Heen’s Emergence Dance return to the Festival with Awaken, a polished and passionate piece of movement theater that lives up to the promise of their acclaimed Dream in 2024.

Following a tragic inciting incident that’s expressed through slow-motion weight-sharing, the lead character (Jasper Arrigo) goes on a hero’s journey through the five stages of grief, guided by a poetry-reciting Ringleader (Mars Powers) though dance-based vignettes incorporating elements of modern, ballet and even acrobatics.

The choreography by Heen and her team evolves from mechanical pedestrian movement to free-flowing organic forms, as Arrigo abandons anger and denial for acceptance and awareness. Like their last show, the large ensemble has a couple corps members who aren’t yet on their castmates’ level, but Arrigo and Powers remain the main reasons to see this troupe; Arrigo is exceptionally expressive for such a strong athlete, while Powers has a fascinating feline physicality that somehow makes his Lewis Carroll-like nonsense verses seem insightful.

Throw in boldly colorful lighting, Sonja Rosignol’s entrancingly androgynous costumes, and a carefully curated soundtrack spanning Hidden Citizens to Billie Eilish, and Awaken is easily a must-see pick for dance fans at this year’s Orlando Fringe.

Emergence Dance (Orlando, FL)
Pink Venue, Lowndes Shakespeare Center
60 minutes; all ages
Tickets: $15

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