Colors in Between

About the experimental study

Colors in Between is a research in theater lighting that was born on the stage. It examines how to illuminate People of Color for theater and dance, and seeks to understand the representation of dark skin in theater. It faces the complexities of the performative bodies in dance and proposes a design in lighting that accommodates various bodies and skin tones into the understanding of performance, of subjects to be illuminated at the possible visual narratives on the stage. It will be an anti-racist ally on the technical side of the performing arts backstage.

The first phase of the project experimented with different filter colors to test how the colorful light would interact with the skin. Using one color from one side and a distinct one from the other, the light forces a contrast on the body that white light cannot produce. In such a way, the texture, forms, and movements of the dark pigmented body are more noticeable on its spatial characteristics. Colors in Between intends to go beyond finding technical solutions to the »diasporic visualities«. It proposes a different way of exploring the interaction between light and skin. The black body changes the light when touched by it. As a designer and researcher, my challenge is to observe, document, and bring the discussion to the front of the stage and also to its back.