REVIEW: UNDER THE COVER

AUDIENCE ADVISORY: Rapid strobe light effect usage

Using dance theatre to convey the experience of social anxiety continues to be impactful in this brief but ultimately brave mental health awareness piece. In this solo work, performer Camila Linhares sets the tone by rocking back and forth, murmuring to herself through the pre-show. Her narration and movement is frantic as the inside of her mind questions the meaning of happiness and the feeling of being constantly judged by those around you for just existing.

The unraveling, both literally and figurately, is relatable, effective and quite vulnerable. It is easy to empathize with this performance, especially as the intense, anxiety-riddled thoughts manifest with an effectively lit depiction of the attack. The ending is rather abrupt but the audience’s long applause for Linhares’ effort and performance was well-deserved.

An unexpected piece of moving and cathartic dance theatre worth checking out.