The only sound in the pitch-black cavernous room was from the fan-blown air conditioned breeze and the whispered comments from other in attendance.
A driven beat was delivered by dance mix music as the stage became electric – literally and figuratively – as iLuminate burst on the stage lit with body-worn shaped neon and flashing lights.
Pronounced “eye-luminate,” the high-energy dance troupe and their choreography is one of the featured performers at Dollywood’s Summer Celebration. Scheduled for three shows daily now through July 21, the dancers move with precision while their specially-designed costumes accentuate, complement and define every routine.
Welcoming area media to a special dress rehearsal Friday, company founder and designer Miral Kotb explained the concept behind the unique program.
With degrees from Columbia University in both computer engineering and dance, Kotb found a way to mesh her specialties into an art with movement marrying technology.
“The dancers are all wearing lightsuits with technology in them. Everything we created; it’s all proprietary technology that I actually invented in 2009. All the dancers are wearing computers and the lighting is all wireless. It all makes for such unique effects – people can appear and disappear and it can look as though their heads fall off. It’s a magic show, a dance magic show, and it’s mesmerizing,” Kotb said in a pre-rehearsal interview.
She went on to say the computers the dancers wear are small enough to fit comfortably within the black body-fitted foundation suit and still allow for accurate wireless communication between the light units and the control computer. That main computer allows for instantaneous tweaking and perfecting of timing of each glow and every flash of light.
“Your cellphone is a computer, so there’s a lot of logic technology in it but this is wearable,” she said.
Kotb said it took approximately a year and a half from concept to design to first performances for the company.
“I was at an Apple developers conference in 2009 and they were talking about how more and more things could be controlled over Wi-Fi,” Kotb said. She began thinking about what could be done with wireless communications with dancers on stage at the very moment of performance, including lighting cues and actual lights on the dancers themselves.
Refining the technology and the choreography all along the way, the troupe has appeared on several television shows, including a third-place finish on the popular “America’s Got Talent,” and they were featured on “Good Morning, America” and “Ellen.” They have also traveled to several countries and performed alongside big-name music stars, including Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed Peas.
The two-week run of Dollywood performances showcases a routine designed and built specifically for the theme park’s audiences. The mix of lighting effects are programmed to seamlessly coordinate with the soundtrack, whether it be a powerful orchestral movement or a heavy downbeat of club music, including a spectacular tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Most of the 10 dancers performing at the Dollywood gig hail from Atlanta and all are quick learners. According to Timara “Fay” Melchor and Kenneth “Mantis” Tipton, some of the dancers have learned the intricate dance routines in as little as a week – and most of it in the dark. Part of the full-body costume includes modified helmets in which even the visors have embedded lights. Think of a multi-beam flashlight strobing in your face and directed at a completely darkened stage and audience and you’ll get an idea of the challenges the dancers face. Rehearsals and performances are always preceded by crewmembers activating special glow in the dark tape strategically placed on the stage floor to allow the dancers to hit their marks during the performance.
“We can’t see the audience, we can’t even see each other,” Melchor said.
Melchor said it’s the energy returned from the audience which keeps their creativity flowing.
“I think it’s the audience reaction, to hear the oohs and aahs and wows,” she said.
“Being able to dance is a gift in itself but for (Kotb) to take a love of technology and fuse it with dance is amazing to all of us,” Tipton said.
iLuminate began its run this weekend with shows set for 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. Dollywood is open 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Showtimes and other attraction information is available at www.dollywood.com.
For more information about the company and its history and upcoming shows, visit www.iluminate.com.
