MFA Dance candidates Mustapha Braimah and Allen Chunhui Xing present their thesis concerts.

Akwantuo: Plight of the immigrant

By Mustapha Braimah

In this original piece blending African and contemporary dance with Ghanaian dance theatre, Mustapha Braimah draws on his own journey of immigrating from Ghana to become a U.S. resident, exposing the audience to living the moment of the immigrant’s struggle. It’s a visceral, immersive piece, illuminating the feelings of vulnerability, injustice, frustration, humiliation, disappointment and sheer terror of being at someone else’s mercy when being denied a visa.

Equinox and Solstice

By Allen Chunhui Xing

Depicting the seasons in four distinct sections, Xing’s work echoes and transcends the beauty and ferocity of the cycle of life. Combining Chinese classical and folk dance with elements of modern dance, vivid projection and soundscapes, he conjures a world that awakens the viewer to a heightened sense of being.