The multimedia show “Apollo’s Flight,” brought to us by East Dallas neighbor Kristin Colaneri, will feature light projections, electronic live instruments, elaborate costumes and dance.
It started with an idea from electric violinist Marek Eneti when he wanted to build a show around some of his original composition. He teamed up with Colaneri, who has a background in professional dance and performance art, to brainstorm a concept.
Colaneri is studying multimedia at the University of Texas at Dallas, which mixes performance mediums, she explains. Most shows include different types of lighting or media, such as light projection or body mapping, combined with dance and a narrative element like acting or video, she says.
“[Eneti] looks like Apollo,” Colaneri says “Most of what’s written today is based off of Greek and Roman mythology or William Shakespeare, so I thought, ‘Let’s base it off Apollo because he’s the god of music and light, and it’s a music and light show.’”
She created a story narrative that “follows the structure of Apollo’s life” and also includes the mythological characters Orion and Daphne. Then Colaneri roped in several other Dallas artists: choreographer Valerie Shelton-Tabor, clarinet player Jonathan Jones, costume designer Jesse Thaxton, photographer Michael Myers and lighting designer Casidy Castillo-Wilson.
The costume design combines Greek influences with surrealism and biodesign, and the music concept has evolved to include original composition from Jones as well.
“We want to use some multimedia improvisation, which is a completely new form in terms of performance art,” Colaneri says. “There’s stuff like jazz and improvisational dance, but we want to put it all together and still react in real-time, so the audience is really a part of the creation at that moment.”
The show is for one night only, on Feb. 5, at the Latino Cultural Center. It starts at 8 p.m. To learn more or purchase tickets, go to dallasculture.org/latinoCulturalCenter.
