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Creston Concert Society presenting Rainbow Dance Theatre's iLumiDance

Rainbow Dance Theatre’s iLumiDance at Creston's Prince Charles Theatre Feb. 28; utilizes black light, electroluminescent technology...
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Performers in Rainbow Dance Theatre’s iLumiDance.

The Creston Concert Society’s next presentation is sure to be fun for the family! On Sunday, Rainbow Dance Theatre’s iLumiDance comes to dazzle the audience at the Prince Charles Theatre for a matinee presentation.

Founded in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1991, Rainbow Dance Theatre (RDT) has been based in Monmouth, Ore., since 2000. Its name highlights its roots in Hawaii, the “land of rainbows”, as well as the ethnic diversity of its company members and the multiple cultural influences in the choreography performed by the company, which has toured throughout the world, performing in Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada and Mexico to widespread critical and popular acclaim.

RDT’s ensemble of eight virtuoso dancers transforms the concert stage into a world of mystery, pathos and humor. Delighting audiences of all ages with its athletic “pull out-the-stops celebration of … dancing that pays homage to world dance and music influences.” (Sheryl Dare, Honolulu Advertiser) RDT’s repertoire features modern works with roots in the traditions of many world cultures, celebrating this array as well with its virtuosic style that fuses West African and Haitian dance, hip hop and martial arts with American modern dance.

Combined with innovative aerial choreography, visually stunning interactive sets and the latest innovations in fibre optic and electroluminescent technology, the distinctive choreography of artistic directors Darryl Thomas and Valerie Bergman creates “an exotic feast for the senses.” (Isamu Jordan, Spokesman Review) This high-impact, rapid-fire performance style features a rugged athleticism and gravity-defying partnering. 3D backdrops, inter-active full-stage sets and lavish costuming add a unique visual element that transforms the dance performance into an entertaining and provocative theatrical event.

ILumiDance opens on a darkened stage with only a black light instrument illuminating the puppets and dancers so that viewers are immersed in an undersea world where creatures appear to float, swim and dance through the dark water. As the dance progresses, mysterious land animals appear, created through RDT’s signature partnering between two and sometimes three dancers who together form one fantastic creature.

Act Two utilizes proprietary technology designed exclusively for RDT by electrical engineer Ben Peoples: A computer on the side of the stage synchronized to a music score “talks” to the light-wired costumes, sets, puppets and props so that the electroluminescent wire, along with the dancers, “dances” to the music score.

Advance tickets for the 2 p.m. Feb. 28 show are $22 for adults and $10 for students, available at Black Bear Books, Kingfisher Books and Creative Fix, or $25 and $12 at the door.

—CRESTON CONCERT SOCIETY