Audio By Carbonatix
Tall heels and red jeans, or Christian Dior boutique evening gown? Yes, figuring out what to wear to Daniel Bernard Roumain’s Symphony for the Dance Floor might be tricky. The Margate native has created an art piece that melds the multisensory nightclub scene with classical symphonic elements. The show mingles choreography, lights, photography, film, and live violin performance of his own musical compositions.
He says the work brings “deep and substantive production values” to make beautiful, classical violin music more palatable and relevant to today’s technology-saturated society.
The versatile Haitian-American artist’s collaborations have included Philip Glass, Cassandra Wilson, Bill T. Jones, and Lady Gaga. He’s been commissioned by Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Library of Congress, and ESPN. He has appeared on American Idol and been billed by Esquire as “the New Face of Classical Music.”
But the musician, a product of both the Dade and Broward public school systems, says he’ll never forget his Florida roots. He
says he hopes Miamians will leave the comforts of their homes to show
their support, even though he knows it’s a tall order. Those who do will
be rewarded with a valuable communal experience, in a “homey”
environment, he says.
“This show actually
mimics the home in many ways. Some of the audience are going to be
seated practically on the stage. I mean as close to me as any
conversation. There will be a large video screen, like a large
television. I think the seats are pretty comfortable. There will be a
catwalk, and beautiful bodies in the dances. And I think pretty good
music. But more than anything, I’m from South Florida; I consider anyone
that comes to the show really to be an extension of our family.”
Collaborators
on the project include director D.J. Mendel, choreographer Millicent
Johnnie, photographer and videographer Jonathan Mannion, and MC Lord
Jamar, rapper and former star of HBO’s Oz. The Miami Light Project
show takes place at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, marking the grand opening of the Lightbox
at Goldman Warehouse (404 NW 26th St., Miami). Tickets cost $20. Click here or call 305-576-4350.
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