Every year, there's hundreds and hundreds of performances at the Philly Fringe and Live Arts Festival, and unless it's one of the big shows, it's sometimes hard to tell what you're going to get. Here at Critical Mass we're sending writers to as many shows as we possibly can for 75 pocket-sized reviews over the course of the fest. Check back in with us at On The Fringe every day for real talk on what these things actually are!

SHOW: Einstein/Tagore: Seashore of Endless Worlds

GROUP: Mangalam Dance and Shiva3

GENRE: Theater/Dance

ATTENDED: Sun., Sept. 16

CLOSES: Sun., Sept. 22

BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: When Nobel-winning Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore met Einstein in 1930 they discussed science, religion and consciousness. Inspired by this encounter, [choreographer Bidisha] Dasgupta's work blends modern dance, Bharatanatyam Indian classical and Tagore's Rabindra Nritya dance style to explore our ties to the cosmos.

WE THINK: Taking place in the intimate front room of Twelve Gates Arts gallery in Old City, producer/choreographer/director/dancer Bidisha Dasgupta and fellow dancers Leslie Elkins and Jodi Obeid star in this diamond-in-the-Fringe-rough show inspired by the well-documented religion-versus-science discussions between Einstein and Tagore. Though there is some dialog — the dance routines are interspersed with quick, straight-from-the-script readings by Elkins and Obeid — the dancing is why you should put this on your Fringe itinerary. Dasgupta, decked out in gorgeous, traditional Indian garb, is a force, engaging every ounce of her being in routines that run the gamut from energetic and attention-demanding ("Mangalam: Honoring the Elements") to rip-your-heart-out passionate ("Trance"). Elkins and Obeid, both with backgrounds in contemporary dance, join in on a few numbers, too, most notably the final performance to Bikram Ghosh's refreshingly funky "Rhythm Speaks." It doesn't have the high-flying acrobatics you might find in some of the more-hyped Live Arts dance shows, but this little must-see will take you on a mesmerizing cultural journey you'll want to take again and again.

—Josh Middleton