The H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center is getting ready for a show that will be done in complete darkness.
On Wednesday the iLuminate dance group will bring its glow-in-the-dark suits and endless energy to Shippensburg.
iLuminate first caught the nation’s attention after appearing on season six of “America’s Got Talent” in 2011. While on the show the group was called “the best new act in America” and ended up placing third after jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. and shadow dancers group Silhouettes.
Since the show, iLuminate has been performing worldwide in places like Hong Kong and Egypt. Recently, they started touring in the United States again.
iLuminate presents a story of romance and adventure displayed through various high-powered dance styles with the aid of light. Dancers move like robots in synchronism. Each performer flashes across the stage and then disappears into darkness. Some even appear to fly in the air, as performers in black lift them.
Miral Kotb founded iLuminate in 2009 to combine her two interests of dance and software engineering. She developed customized wireless lighting programs to accommodate dance routines. Kotb’s technology has been used in performances by Grammy-winning performers like Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed Peas. In addition, iLuminate performed on several television shows and appeared off-Broadway, on a smaller stages.
iLuminate is passionate about educating children on how dance and technology can come together. The group provides week-long workshops in Central Asia and New Zealand for grade school children to gain behind-the-scenes insight on how performances work.
Those enrolled in the program choose between being a dancer or technician. The dancers learn choreography while the technicians learn how to create a light emitting diode (LED) suit. By the end of the week, the children put on their own iLuminate performance.
iLuminate’s performance at SU will begin at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to www.luhrscenter.com or stop by the box office at Luhrs.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.