BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) - When Trevor Harrison was 15 years old, he was already a break dancer.
“I have the passion for dancing. I’ve been dancing for so long that I feel the people I dance with,” said Harrison, who is now 30. “They inspire me. We all have the same passion for what we do.”
Little did he know he would be with iLuminate, a group that finished third place on “America’s Got Talent” in 2011. Harrison, a choreographer, dancer and dance captain of the group wasn’t part of iLuminate yet.
“We got our big start on ’America’s Got Talent,’ where we were second runner-up,” he said. “I’ve been with the company for three years. I’m part of the second wave of dancers that came in.”
iLuminate is a fusion of technology and dance. Dancers dress in glow-in-the-dark suits to perform choreographed dances and illusions on a darkened stage.
“We have our own patented technology … to collaborate and produce customized performances,” Harrison said. “We aim to create a visual display of everything that has ever been seen.”
They will show that display in Bowling Green when they perform at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, 601 College St.
Harrison hooked up with the group by interviewing with iLuminate’s first theme park production at Six Flags over Georgia.
“It was the first time the company was able to do it in a theme park. Performances typically range from a two- to five-minute song. We were able to make a production of the show,” he said. “I was invited to come be part of the creative process of the off-Broadway show ’Artist of Light.’ It began in the fall of 2012.”
Before that, Harrison received a Bachelor of Art degree in performing arts. He performed with the Los Angeles-based Diavolo Dance Theatre, where he did what he called “dangerous styles of dancing” using stage props, such as a “huge boat that rocks onstage.”
“It was definitely a different experience in my life,” he said. “It taught me how to be a part of a team.”
Teamwork is an important part of being in iLuminate.
“There are so many aspects of iLuminate. Everyone has to collaborate,” he said. “Collaborating with the technicians and artistic director and wardrobe stylist has been cool. One group can’t function without the next group. Everybody has to work together to create those illusions, to create that magic.”
iLuminate doesn’t do just one kind of dance, Harrison said.
“It’s been a pleasure. I’ve learned quite a bit about every aspect,” he said. “Everybody I’ve danced with has been pretty cool. Definitely as a choreographer you have to bring the illusion to life. The music is the first thing.”
Harrison has had dreams come true thanks to his association with iLuminate. He met first lady Michelle Obama at the Children’s Inaugural Ball.
“I got to hug the first lady two times,” he said. “She’s a sweet lady. She gives everybody her full attention.”
He’s also witnessed iLuminate’s technology being used in corporate, international and cruise shows across the United States and around the world. The dancers have worked with singers Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera and the Black Eyed Peas as well as on the shows “The X Factor,” the “Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards,” the “BET Awards,” the “Wendy Williams Show” and “Good Morning America,” among others. Their next shows are in Michigan and Colorado.
“We travel three to five times a month depending on the season. Sometimes it gets up to six or seven. It just depends,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing to travel the world and share what we do. It’s an amazing feeling.”ballet, pointe, jazz, pop, lock, hip-hop, tango, contemporary and more.
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Information from: Daily News, https://www.bgdailynews.com
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