Sheramy Keegan-Turcotte performs in “Distant Aidenn,” one of the dances that will be presented in Fusionworks’ concerts tonight and tomorrow night at Rhode Island College.

PROVIDENCE — Grace is good. And that generally characterizes Fusionworks Dance Company’s fall concert, which officially opens tonight at Rhode Island College.

Often Fusionworks puts a piece in its program that’s qualitatively different from the others, something particularly quirky or especially lively, and that’s good. But this, unfortunately, is not one of those times. Overall, the show’s emphasis is on the subdued, which has its appeal.

In yesterday’s preview performance, it was the two premieres in the six-dance program that stood out: “Yoked,” and “Double Stop: Longshore Drift.”

“Yoked,” choreographed by Karen Swiatocha, a Fusionworks dancer, features five dancers and a recording of a female a cappella soloist. Being female, which Deb Meunier, Fusionworks’ artistic director explains in her introduction to the piece, is central to the dance, which is about women supporting each other, emotionally and, most notably, physically.

The women are dressed in plain and simple knee-length cotton dresses. Sometimes they stand in a line, sometimes in a circle. At moments one woman slumps, and another lifts her up; one woman turns to walk away, and another pulls her back. The dance introductions are helpful in the show, but the message is made fairly clear in this piece, where the dance is somewhat episodic and gestural, and supportive of a mood that approaches melancholic.

In “Double Stop: Longshore Drift,” Meunier, who choreographed the piece, makes clear at the outset that it isn’t attempting to tell a story. It’s merely marrying movement with music, and does it well. The music is smooth jazz by Pat Metheny. The nine dancers, in shear white skirts and loose sleeveless black tops, move flowingly and gracefully, swaying to the sound. There’s nice variation of participation, with some dancers following one set of movements, and others another set, all of which is contemporary ballet. There’s also a good exchange of varying numbers of dancers entering and exiting the stage. It’s a visually pleasing and soothing piece.

Two other works, while not new, will likely be new to audiences since they haven’t been performed for a while. “Rainbow Etude,” a dance created in 1996 by Donald McKayle based on one of his dances from 1959, is brief, simple and straightforward, with a few nice touches. Fusionworks II apprentice company performs the piece, which is an ode to the old-time prison chain gangs. Six female dancers dressed in brown dresses move to the a cappella singing of an African-American man. Their hands are together and their arms straightened when there’s mention of swinging a hammer. Their torsos arc and their hands percussively slap the floor. And a couple of times they grunt “Huh!” in unison.

“In Lieu of the Next Goddess,” choreographed by Meunier in 1993, is, as Meunier says in her introduction, about discovering places with remnants of ancient religions. The piece is more theater than dance, and maybe too much so. It offers atmosphere, but not much movement. There are five dancers, a goddess figure in multicolored headdress and cape, and four female followers in earth-colored unitards and tattered skirts (or loin cloths?), and disheveled hair, looking like cavewomen. A character in a white skeleton mask and black cape, and carrying a cane, shuffles on its haunches back and forth, eventually depositing a small clothed statue for the women to worship.

The program also includes two dances that have recently been performed. “Distant Aidenn,” which was choreographed by Meunier and performed last spring, presents three soloists — Amy Bardenhagen, Anne Gehman and Sheramy Keegan-Turcotte — who portray three aspects of the same person, burdened by sadness. There’s a somber quality to the George Winston music and the accompanying movements. But it’s not unrelenting and not without elegance and a sense of hope.

“Vesperae,” which Meunier choreographed in 2002 and has now presented three times, is a three-part piece with five female dancers who capture the grandeur, spiritual, choral and operatic quality of Mozart’s music.

Fusionworks Dance Company’s fall concert is tonight and Saturday night at 8 in Sapinsley Hall at Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence. While Saturday’s show starts at 8 p.m., you can have it start at 6:30 p.m. in what’s called a “completely unwrapped” show, which includes a reception with Deb Meunier, the company’s artistic director, and a backstage tour to meet the dancers and see the pre-performance preparations. In both shows each dance will be preceded by a discussion of the artistic decision-making that went into it.

Tickets for each show are $20 to $30, $18 for seniors and $10 for students. The “completely unwrapped” version of Saturday’s show is $50. Call (401) 456-8144. For more information, visit www.fusionworksdance.org.