Dance 287 - Lighting for Choreography Fall 2019

Pro Mode               The new 12.9” IPad Pro from apple is my favorite digital device. With a liquid retina and LED-backlit multi-touch display its no wonder why this machine is so spectacular. The colors seem to pop from the screen due to its wide, true tone  presentation. That’s because it has 2732-by-2048 pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch. Wow! The combination of its beautiful display, sleek design and functionality sets it a part from any other computer on the market and takes 1st place in my book.                This little machine inspires me to be more creative and professional. Whither I’m designing a company logo, developing a new app, choreographing a dance, editing a film, or creating music  the iPad provides me with the comfort in knowing I have endless tools at my disposal to help in my endeavors. Because our society is so saturated with technological devices we can sometim...

Week #9  Blue-- The Empty Space Aliya Kerimujiang Can you see what I see? Can you feel what I feel? What determines one to see what they see and feel what they feel?  I walk pass by a giant light tube somewhere on the surface of the paved road in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. The tube represents the most ordinary looking item you could possibly imagine. It appears to be nothing special, but to serve its purpose of life, which is to bring light into the theatre-- the empty space.  Is this what I feel about the object? Of course not. The image that I see is entirely different from how the tube appears itself into my physical eyes. Somehow I instantly connect with it on a deeper level. The tube is calling my soul like a Siren, and suddenly my body is enclosed by ocean water, and there’s no road to lead me back home. Danger. I am obsessed with this wandering mind just as much as I’m enjoying getting lost in this tube of light. Th...

I have always been obsessed with the blue Christmas lights that hang on houses. I don't know what it is about them but they always entrance me on a very deep and subconscious level. It makes me think that there must be something in an evolutionary level that is significant about them because there is no other light color (particularly the christmas lights) that draw me like a moth to a flame. I never want to stop looking at them when I see them. I'll see all of the extravagance of the designs and garden fixtures and will stand in awe but when that single blue lit house (there is usually only one or two for some reason on the block) makes its presence known I am hypnotized and forget all the others. This emergency light comes very close to the hue and sensation though not exact. I wonder if this survival instinct is linked to the choice to place this light color on an emergency pole?! It would help me to understand my obsession much better.

This weekend, I went to Hawaii to see Janet Jackson perform live in concert! She was phenomenal! The lighting, the dancing, and the performance was exquisite. Being in Lighting this quarter has made me more aware of lighting and projection that is around me. In this picture, there are multiple lighting cues and specials that are coming from the stage and the balcony. It is amazing to see what they can do in concerts to light up the audience, the stage and the surroundings. As you can see, Janet Jackson has a special on her and the rest of the stage is in a Sangria color which adds warmth to her performance. The audience is also lit up in Sangria, purple and Midnight blue. The specials are in a pale blue color. These three vibrant colors really make Janet Jackson pop on stage and they add color to the front audience. This was a spectacular show and I am so glad I got to see it in Hawaii!

  It’s about five o’clock and we are on a casual date at Buffalo Wild Wings. We decide to sit outside as we both are obsessed with the feelings that sunset brings into our heart. Today, sunshine reveals itself along with Aura’s smile.  “See the clouds!” I point at the cumulus clouds to Aura, the light shines through the clouds and creates an illusion of a mixed color: mauve and orange.  “It seems just like the cotton-candy clouds that Marc posted to the other day!” I continued. (I leave you here, to be undocumented.) Light finds its way to come into my dream. Tonight, this empty wine glass is where you kiss my eyes.                      I don’t love light, but I'm obsessed with the creative feeling that light offers me.

Water(gate)& Rainbows On Wednesday afternoon, while on the way home from class, I spotted a rainbow in the sky. Not just one side of it, but both ends were visible, as the rainbow stretched across the big, open sky.    Just earlier that wet, rainy morning, I spotted my first rainbow of the day. In the moment, the colors were delightful against the grey sky, a picturesque surprise that reminded me to be grateful for the many wonderful opportunities that have been pouring through my life at this time. I am particularly grateful to my cohort at UCI, who together, remind me of this beautiful symbol. I’m also grateful for the discussion we had on Wednesday with Dr. Fisher about artist/activist Donald McKayle’s life work and legacy. It was Tuesday evening that I watched his work, “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder,” which gave voice to the voiceless. By the time I saw the full rainbow on Wednesday afternoon, I’d noticed the recurring theme.  Fast forward a few days, a...

Obsession           I love my four legged kids! As a proud pet parent I am obsessed with the overall well-being and safety of my babies. Every morning and evening my wife and I always place their rechargeable glowing collars on them. These neon blue and pink lights provide a bright beacon of light that can be seen from far away. This small digitally operated bulb reflects through a plastic tube that connects to the other side. It’s functions include a flashing pulse or steady beam of illumination that gently wraps around their neck. Not only does the light increase their visibility, but it makes them look cute as well.        

Today, I visited Salt & Straw, one of my favorite shops in downtown LA's- Arts District. Before starting grad school, I lived in this trendy neighborhood for six years. During that time I would religiously buy ice cream from this shop. In particular, I always order the same flavor, double fold vanilla with hot fudge. It is my OBSESSION..! While enjoying my obsession in a cup, A good amount of sunlight beamed down on me. This light felt rejuvenating and it warmed my body as I ate my delicious treat.  

"Colored Clear" - Taken by Kent Shinomae (Grand Park in Downtown LA)      Let's talk about an obsession I have. Water is seen as clear, due to its nature. However, when light with color is mixed with water, it creates an illusion that the water itself has color. I have always had a fascination of this phenomenon. Ever since I was little, I would love to watch water shows that incorporated the use of colored light. Some of the shows I've seen that has implemented this idea are "Fantasmic" at Disneyland, "World of Color" at California Adventure, the fountain show at the Wynn in Vegas, and "Le Reve," also at the Wynn. The addition of light with color adds this magical quality to something as simple and monotone like water. In my opinion, it adds more life and creates a fuller look as the color spreads through the entire volume of the water, like the green-colored fountain in Grand Park that I captured. I especially admired the color...

To me, obsession closely relates to several other words: craze, passion, and fascination. Obsession can make a person crazy. They can see things that aren't there and develop a warped sense of reality. As I walked across the Arts School sky bridge this past Tuesday, I was fascinated by the color of the sky. The sky was a mix of a vibrant blue with a fiery pink and soft cotton candy clouds. As I turned around trying to get the right angle for my photo, I got an even more intense sight. The zoomed photo showed me the reflection of the sky on the glass windows. To me, it looks like the building is engulfed in flames. It was interesting to me to see the orange and red reflection in the windows since I couldn't see any orange or red in the sky. Sometimes obsession makes people think things that aren't true/factual. It can lead people to find an alternative reality. Things that aren't true can be warped and manipulated until they seem true. To me, this building was expr...

To say that I am obsessed with this tiny human is an understatement.  Her name is Jorie! She is almost 6 months old, and she is my niece. Not only do I feel joy when I see the light emphasize and highlight her face, but I find myself thinking that if this picture was not taken at a certain time of day, I wouldn't have been able to see the sweet expression on her face. As an aunt, I have a right to be obsessed with her tiny rolls on her arms and especially her adorable cheeks! The light shapes her sweet face and tiny head so perfectly, and it makes me feel so excited with anticipation to see her during the holidays. Every time I look at this picture, I squeal with excitement and show the nearest person so they too can experience the joy in my obsession. Jorie's name also means, "God uplifts."  It is inevitable for me to be obsessed with my niece!

    Silhouette in the Sky Recently a new light instillation was added in my neighborhood along the ocean’s cliff of Bluff Park in Long Beach. This artistic display of facial silhouettes have quickly turned into one of my favorite hidden attractions. Ordinary street lights usually used as a beacon of safety for walking pedestrians are light sources that aren’t always the most flattering on human faces. But the illumination of these metal profiles are simply beautiful. Sitting underneath a glowing bulb and pressed up against the black night sky, the imagery is like that of a masterpiece painting hanging on the wall.  This piece shows how the use art and lighting can be intriguing, creative, and inspiring as it can be functional.  

To you, I feel healed! I feel alive! At last, light brings my feelings back to me.  I don’t remember time anymore. Earlier this week, I got lost in  Artistic Survival Mode.  I couldn't feel anything and I couldn't express anything. Seven days without my creativity felt like an eternal prison to me. I've always thought of creativity as something you could never lose, but to physically survive in this naïve reality means that life would always find a way to take creativity away. I guess its because of how inefficient creativity is. Therefore, I gave Time a chance to present to me the purpose of its existence. I stopped taking instant photos whenever I found a unique story about light as I walked to a location. Time had more priority than my child-like heart. And just like this, a week passed by - I finished all of my homework, but I couldn't find my creativity anymore. I completed all of my household chores, and came downstairs to nurture myself wit...

This week I decided to try the Brandywine cafeteria on campus and was struck by the fanciness of it! Why did it seem so fancy? Was it the wide open space? was it the sleek wood and marble architure? was it the placement/hue of the lighting that beckoned you to the various eating stations? Though I'm not exactly sure what did what, I have no doubt that the stark reflective lighting had much to do with my response. And though there was a utilitarian function for the lighting behind the counters of food for the employees, it also did well to lead a moth to the flame. It seemed to funnel my focus to each respective station with equal focus in opposition to the three point perspective of the castle in Disney Land leading to the Small World. My focus here feels wide and panoramic like the picture style that I took like the ancient Chinese paintings, that similarly lacked a three point perspective, but rather encourage a wandering eye across a landscape where the images carry and equa...

Who is that person..? Where is the light coming from..? This evening, I decided to take a walk through my neighborhood. While strolling about, I noticed varying degrees of shadows projected on the pavement. In this particular photo, I used my street lights as down lighting in order to capture the perfect shot of my silhouette. The royal blue lines in the cross walk added the perfect border and color contrast. I chose this photo because I was intrigued by the idea of manipulating the shape and length of my shadow. Furthermore, it was reminiscent of my early childhood in which, I would turn off my bedroom lights and use a flashlight to project shadows on my wall. Using the breadth of my dance training and creativity, I love using silhouettes and shadows to create artistic images.    

I find myself constantly being drawn to light and when I saw these shadows on my apartment floor, I couldn't help but feel energized and inspired. There is something about light being manipulated through shadows that I find fascinating. It made me think of the stage and how the audience could experience light from different angles. I noticed when I see more defined lines from the shadows, in contrast with the light, it feels harsher, but when I see softer shadows, it's comforting to me.  I am curious to create work where depth can be manipulated through light and highlight specific pathways. I wonder how it would feel as a dancer to dance in and out of each shaded and lit area, or I wonder how it would feel as a choreographer to stage groups of dancers that would play with certain pathways of light. I love seeing simple moments throughout my daily life turn into sparks of creativity.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland with friends and CTSA fam. I was blown away by all of the magic in the air. I was only 12 years old the last I visited Disney, so my expectations as an adult weren’t very high. Upon entering the gates, I was immediately drawn into a world of fantasy, where it seemed the main question in the air was “Why not?” The beautiful Christmas tree at the beginning of Main Street, the gorgeous castle all aglow, and Small World were holiday highlights. There were thousands of lights and even fireworks that contributed to a feeling of childhood nostalgia and dreams-come-true. I also loved the projection show that was cast over the lake, clearly demonstrating the lesson we learned earlier that day - water is a surface.   The picture I posted above reminds me of being a little girl and everything feeling larger than life. The warm, saturate colors of the lanterns contrast beautifully against the more cool blue and purple lighting cast ...

This past Thursday, I went to Disneyland with a handful of the dancers from UCI, big thanks and shoutout to Lonnie and his wife for the tickets and show. Usually I rehearse on Thursdays with my dancers for New Slate but I told my dancers "let's just take our rehearsal to Disneyland," and that is exactly what we did! Although we didn't get the chance to practice, I was so ready to put them up on that stage hehe! My dancers and I had the wonderful opportunity to watch Ingrid Michaelson and Andy Grammer in the front row at the concert! They were a great duet! Brandye, Karylynn and I got chosen to wear red Mickey Mouse Ears in the front row so you may see us on television on Thanksgiving Day! Don't forget to tune in to ABC! We also got to ride on Spacemountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion and Thunder Mountain! It was a blast!! Besides the concert and rides, Disney at night is magical! As you can see in the picture above, this was a si...

I was walking my dog early in the morning this week, and the fog was incredibly spooky. Since there have been ideas of fog and haze for some New Slate pieces in our production meetings, it made me think of how this might affect light. The sun was out and bright at this point of the morning, but it was interesting how the fog diffused it. I couldn't even tell exactly where the sun was in the sky. Because of this, I was able to look at the whole sky rather than avoid the sun or close to it because of the UV rays. Although it seemed like the fog was hiding some things from view, in a way, it also opened up the world around me to let me look where I usually cannot. This photo was looking out to where I can usually see for quite some distance. There's a parking lot, a walking path, and a childcare center all within eyesight, but the fog prevented me from seeing any of that. There's something spooky about the unknown, and the diffusing of the light done by the fog left me...

"Artistic Entrance" - taken by Kent Shinomae (entrance to the UCI Arts area on campus) After finishing my last class of the day, I was making my way back towards the Arts area on campus in order to get to the shuttle stop that will take me back to my car. The weather was nice and clear all day and in this moment, it was transitioning into the evening. The way the UCI Arts sign was lit was beautiful to look at. Definitely a sign you could not miss. The blue shadowing of the sign gave it a cool effect and I loved the three-dimensional aspect of it. That sort of effect is something I would normally see as a font effect on the computer. It was a wonderful contrast with the sky in the background. Due to it being during dusk, the colors of the sign really popped in comparison to the pinkish-blue color of the sky. It gave me this feeling of entering into a world, like a sign at an amusement park displaying what "land" you are now walking into. It's funny because...

“I am dizzy, do you feel the same?” I ask my friend Beverly who is also on the mission of finding man-made light with me tonight. “There’s too much stimulation here, I felt it earlier too.”  I see the reflection of light through her eyes. Sundown,  lights on. A new adventure has begun.  I have been waiting for this moment for too long. After 6 weeks of intensive training on becoming an artist, I need a little break for myself.   Beverly drives us to Irvine Spectrum.  “Yeah~~~~” I can’t help to not make some noise once I see the Ferris Wheel in the Plaza. Something is going to happen today! Once we get out of the parking lot, we enter this paved road surrounded by the shining  trees. The source of light hidden under the tree creates a peaceful, serene look. What is unique about this way of street lighting is that it creates a mysterious, quiet feeling upon entering, since there’s no direct lighting source on the road. This design is very succes...

The Full Spectrum   Once the sun goes down the lights come up in magnificent fashion at the  Irvine Spectrum Center . At the core of this plaza is a wonderland of lights and activity. The tall palm trees are wrap to the top with white string lights which beams its shape into the sky. Standing underneath are large umbrellas with LED strips lining its arms, casting functional viewing light below and a red glow from above as it shines through the fabric. A temporary ice skating rink has been installed with color changing bulbs along the bottom that adds dimension and mood to the floor. An extra large digital monitor showcasing videos was erected on the otter circle of the entrance providing a visual spectacle as well. Towering above all of this is a fully lit ferris wheel that resembles the planet Jupiter with its swirling display of colors and bright otter ring. Surrounding this fantasyland are retail stores with their illuminated logo signs and entrance ways. These sho...