Team iLuminate and Rocky Mountain Silhouettes

I'm not much for the talent-seeking television show phase the world is going through at the moment, but every once in a while they turn out some really stunning stuff that needs to reach millions and millions of other eyes. A friend suggested I check out two acts in particular from the most recent season of America's Got Talent. I did, I was amazed, and here they are. Two very different displays of extraordinary vision and artistic inventiveness, and a real testament to the endless visual possibilities that still remain to be found in combining movement with technology. 

First, The Rocky Mountain Silhouettes, who have molded a breath-taking concept that uses shadow dancing and body placement to create images that outline a story. The idea for the performance was the result of the collaborative efforts of the team from Five Currents led by Scott Givens and the Artistic Director of the Rocky Mountain School of Dance, Lynne Waggoner-Patton. All of this was created as a means to showcase the talented youth of Denver. When you're watching this skillful performance, it's easy to forget how young the performers behind the projection screen are! Makes it even more amazing. Here's their first appearance on AGT:

Next we have Team iLuminate, pioneers of a dazzling new hybrid performance that fuses top notch contemporary dance (electronica/hip hop) with the "world's first wearable, wireless lighting system." They toy with perception and points of focus to create mind-bending illusions and completely unpredictable routines. Trust me... you have to see this to believe it:

Am I surprised that neither of these acts won the competition? No (which is a testament to my lack of faith in these kinds of shows). Am I completely mortified that they didn't win? You bet. But they've now been exposed to the world, and for that I am thankful.

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