The power of storytelling was such an important piece of Lindsey Stirling’s upbringing that it is the main reason why her latest tour, Duality Untamed, has classic storybook elements laced into the performance.

At a recent tour stop in Rosemont, Ill., Stirling addressed the audience mid-set to tell them about the best storyteller she ever knew - her late father. Some of her earliest memories are bedtime stories, sharing that his greatest asset as a storyteller was knowing when to pause. He added pauses so well into stories it made them all the more enticing. She called the pause the sacred space in life; the moment where it seems like nothing is happening but, in actuality, everything is happening.

“What makes those moments mean anything is the pause,” she said.

Throughout the night, the hero’s journey was told through music, spoken word and dance. “Run through the forest, don’t pause to hide, don’t look behind to the left nor the right” was part of a chant before Stirling emerged in a red rhinestoned cape alongside her dancers-turned-wolves. She climbed her own beanstalk and seemingly floated through the air on green aerial silks. She twirled across the stage brandishing her violin that doubled as a crossbow.

Visually, the screened backdrop displayed cathedral-style windows showcasing stained glass art, a stormy sky behind a castle, trees swaying in a nighttime breeze and a winter snow storm. It was both incredibly detailed and incredibly subtle; a way to add to the story without taking the spotlight away from the performers.

The most spectacular of them all was during the mashup of “Sleepwalking” and “Kintsugi”, where she began with another aerial silk performance while a story about a caterpillar who dreamed more than anything to become a butterfly was told. The white fabric aided her narration about the caterpillar who was trapped inside its own chrysalis, its struggle purposeful. Moments later, she rose into the air draped in white silks, violin in hand, and shed the fabric as butterfly wings spread out behind her.

Graceful is the only way to describe Stirling’s performance. The way she carried herself across the stage all night seemed effortless. There wasn’t a moment, even as she was upside down several feet in the air, where there wasn’t a smile on her face. It wasn’t that she made it look easy, she made it look fun.

At the end of the night, she explained to the audience that they weren’t just the heroes of their own stories; they were the authors. She hoped they left feeling powerful and strong. She reminded them that the reason they have dreams is because they are meant to have them. She thanked them for being there for all her stories, closing the night out with one last chance to spread her wings.