2026 MFA Dance Concert: Mind, Body, & Soul

LONG BEACH, CA February, 2026:  The CSULB College of the Arts and Department of Dance present Mind, Body, & Soul, March 5-7, 2026. The concert features culminating original choreographic works by Kennedy Berthiaume, Maggie Ogle and Ricky Medina. Ogle’s Thresholds brings viewers into a landscape of neurodivergent experiences (Mind), while Berthiaume’s Face Value (Body) asks what it means to be “beautiful” by societal standards. Medina’s Mighty Praiseunlocks the spiritual power of Hip Hop dance forms (Soul), completing the artistic triptych of Mind, Body, & Soul. Information and tickets can be found on the CSULB Department of Dance website (https://www.csulb.edu/dance/csulb-dance-events) and detailed information on each piece follows below. 

Thresholds by Maggie Ogle is a two-part contemporary dance work that explores the emotional and sensory landscape of neurodivergent experiences. In Part I, Shelf Life, the choreography traces a cycle of masking, rejection, and isolation—where dancers navigate constrained, fragmented movement among manufactured objects chosen only to be discarded. This section reflects the emotional labor of suppressing one's authentic self to fit into neurotypical norms. In Part II, Is This Okay?, the work shifts toward reclamation and self-trust, embracing the nonlinear thinking, patterned routines, and sensory-driven processes that help neurodivergent individuals flourish. Through object-based play, the dancers reflect a world perceived differently—where divergence becomes a source of connection and deeper meaning. Together, the two parts mark a threshold between suppression and expression, inviting audiences to reconsider how difference is treated, and how it might instead be celebrated.

Kennedy Berthiaume's Face Value is a contemporary dance work that interrogates how feminine beauty standards are constructed, consumed, and internalized within Western culture. Through a blend of choreographed material and improvisational structures, the piece explores the tension between visibility and value—asking what it means to be seen, and who gets to decide what is deemed “beautiful.” Drawing on influences from dance history, media imagery, and lived experience, Face Value uses layered movement, sound, and spatial relationships to expose the subtle ways bodies are shaped by expectation, comparison, and performance. Ultimately, the work invites audiences to reflect on their own participation in systems of looking, judgment, and self-authorship.

Ricky Medina's Mighty Praise explores various Hip-hop/Street Dance forms and their relationship to spirituality. Featuring solo and ensemble work, the dancers engage in acts of community, transformation, worship, and individuality. Using krump, house, hip-hop dance, breaking, popping, and waacking, Mighty Praise offers the audience and electrifying insight to the spiritual and artistic power and potential that resides in the Hip-hop community.

Contact:
Lorin Johnson
Lorin.Johnson@csulb.edu

$15 campus parking is available in CSULB Parking Lot G12, directly in front of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, via parking kiosk (cards only) and the ParkMobile App.

CSULB Dance concertsalways feature the invaluable collaborative efforts of our production team, including: Technical Director Stephanie Losleben; Lighting Designer Stacy Fireheart; Costume Design Supervisor and Shop Manager Kelsey Vidic; Costume Technician Erika Hansen; Technology and Media Advisor Gregory R.R. Crosby; and Music Director Dr. Don Nichols.