BWW Reviews: iLUMINATE the Artist Within

On a warm, sunny Sunday I wasn't exactly thrilled to sit inside an air-conditioned theatre. The dread mounted as elementary school aged children poured into the theatre. However, once the lights dimmed and a dancer, dressed in a black suit with lights on it, bounded through the hall to warn the audience to turn their phones off, I melted and became one of the children myself.

iLuminate features a cast of dancers costumed in head to toe black suits, illuminated like your childhood light-bright. The dancers are a mixture of hip-hop, ballet, and jazz dancers who move effortlessly, despite the cumbersome suits. It was refreshing to see such a variety of movement on stage. Together with the music, it perfectly represented the dance scene around the theatre district and could easily be found in a nearby Broadway dance center class. The main character of the piece is a troubled artist who gambols through the city painting friends that spring to life and dance with him on stage. The backdrop of the cityscape is particularly enjoyable for a New Yorker, especially with scenes such as a rat running out of a trash can or an old school jukebox leading to a dance party in a park.

Overall, the 55 minute show took me back to my childhood. I felt as if I were somewhere in between a trip to Disney World and an afternoon of cartoons. The lighting designers, Miral Kotb and Jordon Monson, certainly worked just as hard as the dancers to coordinate the lighting with the movement and music. Parents looking to take their children, especially dance lovers, to a fun Broadway show need look no further than iLuminate.