Review: Rituals of Light by Red Nightfall Dance Theatre

by David Glen Robinson
Published on July 21, 2025

Dorothy O'Shea Overbey draws on world myth and legend to create elemental archetypes personified by goddesses--crones of the moon, sun, fire, wind, and others.

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey has taken the advantages of the new East Side Arts Complex and with her consistently brilliant choreography pushed the envelope of Austin dance. Her single-minded ambition to create ballet leaves her colleagues and the community in awe. Her current effort, Rituals of Light, is yet another shining step toward her goals and a treasured gift to her capacity audiences.   Overbey thinks of Rituals of Light as the first installment of a …

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Review: MoonFall by Red Nightfall Dance Theatre and Density512, Austin

by David Glen Robinson
Published on May 20, 2024

Firmly rooted in the classical tradition and benefiting from live music, multimedia, and multimodal art, MOONFALL compares favorably with Austin's most accomplished dance productions. We are so lucky.

  So powerful, and then so tender. Not often are such disparate qualities drawn so beautifully into juxtaposition. Gentle love duets turn into angry ensemble conflicts. The shambling, morose movements of sun-scorched villagers segue into the powerful dances of the magician, seemingly in a heartbeat. That note is key, because while MoonFall, the newly premiered ballet by Red Nightfall  Dance Theatre and Density512 danced to an original score by Sam Lipman deals directly in duality …

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