Study of Light, Study of Motion
Dancers and designers team up for Aurora Borealis 6
When solar particles interact with the Earth’s atmosphere near the North Pole, a stunning display of natural light, known as the aurora borealis, fills the night sky. This weekend, a group of faculty and students hopes to create a similar effect at the Boston Center for the Arts Calderwood Pavilion.
The sixth annual production of Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance opens on Thursday, February 28, with performances through the weekend. The production will feature a wide variety of dances, from ballet to a piece featuring dancing boxes, but all with an emphasis on lighting design.
Sponsored by the school of theatre at the College of Fine Arts and the department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (PERD), Aurora Borealis was originally conceived as a way for lighting design students to experiment, since lighting production for dance is very different from that for theater. The show’s dancers belong to two main groups: the Dance Theatre Group, which comprises dance minors and enthusiasts who attend weekly classes, and CFA theater students whose course work includes a stint in dance production.
Micki Taylor-Pinney, the PERD dance coordinator and a codirector of the performance, says the show will bring energy and vibrancy to a cold winter night. “This is going to be a real feast for the eyes and for the spirit,” she says. “It should be a great celebration of life and dance.”
Aurora Borealis 6: A Festival of Light and Dance is playing from Thursday, February 28, through Sunday, March 2, at the Boston Center for the Arts Calderwood Pavilion, 527 Tremont St., Boston. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online www.bostontheatrescene.com, by phone at 617-933-8600, or in person at the Calderwood Pavilion box office.
Edward A. Brown can be reached at ebrown@bu.edu.
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