This was part of the 20th Anniversary Indy Fringe Theatre Festival in August 2025. Review originally posted on our Facebook page.

By Wendy Carson

The Painted Knees arrived at Fringe this year with a spectacular dance extravaganza for all ages. Directed by Liz Wray and Lisa Warner, the show presented belly dancing in a narrative art form closer to how it originally began.

The show opens with a dance that highlights all the performers before the story begins. This gives you a nice look at the cast as well as setting us up for the tale we shall witness.

The story unfolds in much the same way as a ballet would, with no speaking and only dancing to drive the narrative. However, the troupe not only gives you background story in the program, it also cleverly breaks the show down into its various scenes with titles to keep you from getting lost.

The show overall was a sheer delight to behold. The dancing was spectacular, and the costumes/makeup effects were amazing.

I must say, as a past student of belly dancing, it is lovely to see the variety of body shapes present in the cast. Belly Dancing was created for a more ample body size and that was reflected well here.

This show was one of the most unique offerings at this year’s Fringe. I hope that The Painted Knees will continue to bring their skills and artistry to the Fringe stage for many years to come. I certainly look forward to seeing them again.