This possible primary source is a YouTube video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5YSsbU75y0, about the dance group Team iLuminate. It is a clip about one of their performances on the show 'America's Got Talent', a competitive reality show about different talents in the United States. This source focuses on the use of technology in performance, dance, and choreography.
There are nine dancers in this group who work together to create shapes and patterns wearing iLuminate suites (wearable wireless lighting systems) in the dark. They partake in complicated partner work and tumbling as well as contemporary hip-hop choreography. Most times they are dancing in unison, however not all dancers can be seen at once. Their suits are being lit up and turned off at different times and in different places. The aspects of lighting, dancing, and darkness are repeated throughout the work. This could be symbolize the choreographer's struggle with cancer. Her strength (the lighting and dancing) prevailing through her sickness and therapy (the darkness). Another thing these repetitions might serve to represent could be her passion for dance despite the challenges it brought about later in her life (again the lighting and dancing vs. the darkness). The inspiration of the repetition of light vs. dark may even be unrelated to her sickness and dancing and could have a connection with something that happened in her childhood or to her family.
The themes of precision and teamwork are both apparent in this piece. The theme of precision is seen in the movements. All movements must be precise though out the dance, as much of the work is in unison with the down beat in the music. All of the dancers must be attentive to details including rhythms, counts, and sharpness. Teamwork plays a major role in the choreography as well. Relaying on one another to be there for spotting and partnering is essential to the success of the performance. It is also extremely important for the dancers to be aware of their spacing and formations, even though they are in the dark. The entire piece depends on the awareness that the dancers have of one another on stage so that the big picture comes together.
Another thing that stuck out in the video was the use of technology not only on the stage, but off. The computers and computer program used to choreograph for Team iLuminate was fascinating. It would be interesting to learn more about the computer programming system and how it works to make everything come together. I also noticed binary opposites in the clip. The use of the flashlight to introduce the group seemed out of place. With the theme of advanced lighting design running throughout the video (not only in the dance but in the theater and during the interviews) the traditional "flashlight under the chin" move stood out as an elementary source of lighting in the clip. The host of the show, Nick Cannon, may just be poking fun at himself, humoring the audience about how he is not as technologically savvy as Team iLuminate. This could, however, literally be "shining a light" on how quickly technology is advancing and sparks the audience's interest to wonder what could be coming next.
Finally, this video raised the following questions: How is technology affecting the art of choreography and dance? And why might the choreographer, Miral Kotb, have been inspired to choose lighting design as the major visual detail in her work?
Bailey Denzy
Alex McGee
Brianna Lockridge
Os'Sad Shaheer
Emily McGuire
Wow this video is amazing! I found it interesting that Alex related the repeated theme of light and dark to the choreographer’s struggle with cancer. And if this is true, it leads me to wonder how the themes of precision and teamwork tie into this story. Why are these themes emphasized, as they so clearly are? If one person isn’t in the right place at the right time, the entire dance sequence is messed up for that part. It’s all or nothing. I also wondered how the attire generates interest in this kind of technology? Does it make people want to go out, buy the same kind of equipment, and start a dance team, or does it cause other kind of motivation. For me personally, this is the first time that I’ve ever seen any sort of performance like this. Furthermore, which aspects of the performance (choreography, lighting, etc.) spark the most interest in the audience?
ReplyDeleteI've seen Team Illuminate before when I was watching AGT and I found there act amazing. However I never truly looked deep into the meaning behind the act and so I found the comparison on the dancing and her fight with cancer to be very interesting. As for the theme of teamwork and precision I think Howie states it best when he says, "In order for this act to be successful they need the choreography, the light up suits and the computer technology to work. If any of these go down there act is ruined." The one question that I ask when I see this is why did she take so much risk with the program? She could've easily created a dance team, but instead she decided to do something extraordinary and create something that no one has ever seen before.
ReplyDeleteLike Bailey, I had never see any kind of performance like this before and I was completely stunned. I didn’t even know something that intricate and technological could be paired with something like dance. I actually showed my roommate—who happens to be a dance major—and she immediately said she wanted to do something like that. That brings me back to Bailey’s question about how the attire generates interest and what kind of interest. Definitely the act can speak volumes to somebody like a dance major because it can give him/her ideas about modes of dance they would like to try, but what about the general audience? Does this performance generate more interest in dance than a show like So You Think You Can Dance? Are people turned off by SYTYCD because it isn’t as accessible as perhaps this Team iLuminate performance might be? Maybe the Team iLuminate performance is more relatable to a general audience because of the emphasis on technology, which is a daily application used by all, whereas a much smaller portion of people can relate to the kinds of things done on SYTYCD.
ReplyDeleteI would also agree with Bailey and Devin in that Alex’s comparison to the choreographer’s struggle with cancer is an interesting observation, I probably wouldn't have connected those two on my own. An observation I made is that the risk that Devin speaks of may directly correlate to her battle. The choreographer may have possibly chosen such a risky type of program due to a realization that she may not get another chance. This can send a positive message to the audience, conveying that we need to take risks in life because it's easy for chances to be taken away from us. I think we then need to ask how such a message can persuade an audience.
Wow. I have never seen anything so extraordinary before! This video is awesome. It is crazy how much technology they used to produce something so magnificent. Like Melissa said, I think this kind of performance is more relatable to the general audiences now because of how much emphasis we put on technology in our world today. It absolutely amazes me how much team work these members need to be successful. With one step off beat, the whole performance is completely ruined. But on the other hand it shows how hard work can build something so incredible.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bailey and Devin as well with the choreographers struggle with cancer observation. I would have never tied those two together, but now that I think about it, it makes so much sense. It really does show that we need to take risks if we want to make a difference.
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ReplyDeleteI've never seen anything like this before & I absolutely love dance, all kinds. I found this video really cool and abstract. Like everyone else mentioned I would have never got the connection between her cancer survival and dancing; coming out of the dark into the light. Referring to Melissa's comment I think this dancing appeals to a broader audience because of the technology aspect(lighting) but SYTYCD also appeals to different kinds of audiences because of all of the different styles of dance and different messages they give. Although, the technology in the choreography shows how far technology has gone as I stated in my blog about Chris Brown's VMA performance. I also think that is the most difficult and technical teamwork I have ever seen. It makes us think how much technology can really do & what it is bringing the world to.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I thought of when watching this video is how inspirational the choreographer is. She is diagnosed with cancer and is still aspiring towards her dream. Most people when given a diagnosis like that will not even try to reach their dreams anymore but she is trying to do it anyway she can. Also, I have never seen any sort of act like this before and the use of technology in the performance is pretty insane. I would really like to know how their light suits work and how much control she has during the actual show to change the lighting patterns. Even something as old as dance can be affected by modern technology.
ReplyDeleteGoing along with everyone elses comments the connection made between the dancing and the fight for cancer is something I never would have thought of. With the added technology in the routine, do the dancers practice a lot more or is it the same as if they were performing without the computers, lights, and dance suits. WIth the technology they have we all agree that they have to put in a lot of work for the routine to be precise and in sync with the lights they have on the suit. Also with the lights being off they have to make sure they are in the right places at the right time. Now with the lights being on they still would have to be precise in the dance but do they practice even harder being that they can see and know where they should be without the routine.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the all the lights and technology symbolize hope for a cure for cancer. With all of our advances in technology eventually cancer will have a cure. Maybe the choreographer is subtly hinting at hope in the future. If this is true than we are seeing something that is probably more than a dance for the choreographer; it is also a glimpse of sunlight, or in this case futuristic lighting, on her dark reality of cancer.
ReplyDeleteWhile there is the connection between the choreographer’s struggle with cancer and self-expression, the aspect of this video that stood out most to me was how technology was used to transform the human body. The combination of light and darkness create a perfect canvas to mix various forms to produce a visual experience that has not been widely viewed before. This is an example of how technology is being utilized to change and modify the human body outside of the medical and experimental fields. Another interesting point is how the dancers use lights to alter the dance genre. This type of dancing is more focused on the finished product of the lights and the show it provides rather than the fluid motions of the body. This shifted focus is just one effect that technology is having on society. The new technology raises many questions; does iLuminate’s use of technology give them an unfair advantage on a show that is judged on talent? How will this technology affect dances and performances in the future?
ReplyDeleteThis video is truly amazing to me. The choreographer's story is so inspirational and her drive and determination to take on a performance of this much technological difficulty along with the choreography and timing of the dance is awesome. I thought the connection that Alex made was great and makes a lot of sense with the theme of light and dark. Going along with her struggle with cancer I wonder if the girl at the end that floats up with wings could represent an angel for all of the millions of others that have lost the battle to cancer.
ReplyDeleteI personally thought that the most interesting part was the way that the lighting corresponded with the music to match the lyrics. Every time Katy Perry would sing "EX-traterestrial" the main person would light up with a big "X" in the center of his chest. It was just amazing to me that she could control all the lighting at such precise timing. I wonder if the lighting was pre-set or if she was actually controlling it all live while they were dancing and if so, was she doing it all on her own?