Dance 287-F25-Lighting for Choreographers

  Photo taken on Sunday night on the way home after parking, coming from a breakdance jam/battle.  While coming home after a long breakdance battling event, I observed this pathway lit up as if was waiting for me. This natural streetlight gently led the way home, guiding me back to safety. I perceived this sense of comfort provided by these warm patches of light, while the night sky is dark, yet bright with the moonlight. It made the atmosphere feel safe. I was initially inspried by how safe and welcoming it felt as if the lighting and the environment was waiting for my arrival. It sort of acted like an invitation after spending a night of intense and high-energy moments earlier. I learned that lighting doesn't have to be something super fancy to make an impact. I just have to acknowledge this valuable moment that show me the way home with safety and joy.

     I took this photo in the Sacramento airport on my way to my grandmother’s services last week. I was struck by the beauty of the light refracting through the countless crystals of this tree chandelier, and how even on the saddest of days the metaphorical (and literal, in this case) light shines through. I feel inspiration works like that. A spark, an inkling, a moment where things just make sense. Inspiration is what pulls us out of creative ruts. It’s what propels us headfirst into new projects. But it’s also, I think, why we’re so willing to “trust the process”. Because inspiration doesn’t show you what is, it whispers of what can be and waits for you to figure out how to make things happen.       I also feel like this tree is a good representation of inspiration itself because from any one source of inspiration you gain countless possible ideas and creations. No one end result is any better than the others per se, but depending on the person, th...

  This photo was taken on a drive back from campus during a sunset, while I was blasting music from my car. It was a moment I had all to myself in between hectic activities. Observing the sunset has always given me a sense of peace and makes me slow down to realize how lucky I am to be busy doing what I love including dancing, teaching, and choreographing. The colors were such vibrant shades of pink, oranges, and yellows and the sunset inspired me to take a second and appreciate all that I have in this life. 

  Inspiration often finds me in small, luminous moments. This little family I’ve created is, and will always be, my greatest source of light and inspiration. I took this photo at Disneyland while celebrating our daughter Olivia’s fourth birthday. The soft blue glow reflecting on her face felt dreamy and full of wonder. It reminded me that lighting isn’t just technical, it’s deeply emotional. As I watched her hold the glowing toy, I realized how light can hold both playfulness and tenderness. It revealed not only her joy but the warmth of our shared connection. 

 I choose this photo to represent inspiration because everyone that I surround myself with and that I am around everyday inspires me. This is a picture on campus at UCI and it resembles the environment where I am the most inspired. I always get inspired by my peers and my friends always motivating and supporting me through everything that I have been working towards. My favorite part about this pictures is the sunset and how the warm colors are more centered towards the horizon as the colors are more cooler/ darker towards the edge of the picture. After each school day, I always catch the sunset and the constant reminder of the brighter days ahead... 

 This week I have chosen a sun set photo. In my undergrad, I created and dedicated a Physical Graffiti piece with the sun being a source of life, connection and remembrance. A dear friend of mine passed away while in undergrad and she was/is a HUGE part of my why in my dance. She was a Theatre kid herself so she understood every little detail of the performance world and we shared that yearn in our Retail job. I am currently the age she was when she passed and every sun set, sun rise or just seeing the sun, i am reminded of the life i have, the art i get to create and my beautiful friend McKenna! She inspires me, so in return i feel the sun is my friend, giving me the warmest hug and the kindest nudge to create. Good, bad, silly, all of it. The way the sun stretches over the water, creating a reflection of itself that fills the skyline, creating a dance with one another, and now, because of her, i dance with the sun.  

  I recently went to Ziggy's hotel in Los Angeles. I took this picture mainly because I was inspired by how the posters were put together on the wall since I like Michael Jackson. Specifically looking into the lighting, it was intriguing since the lights were changing in all sorts of color behind me- behind me was where there was a mini stage setup for the singers. The light was not directed towards the direction of the posters, this gave a shadowed look, I thought it fight the effect well. I feel like the lights in the background in addition to walking through these musical posters gave a bigger impact on my first experience at the Ziggy hotel. 

  Inspiration strikes at the most random times. I am often drawn towards any neon light, so when I was out and about I snapped a photo of this sign. The bright sign was inspiration enough to go inside and check out the place. I enjoyed the way my camera picked up the colors of the sign, and how the colors bleed out beautifully diagonally in each way. All the other lights depicted in the photo are also pulling diagonally in each direction, but they’re not as captivating as the red and green in the center. This photo makes me wonder if there is a way to light a stage the way that these lights make the diagonal lines. I am inspired to use this color pallet on stage and see if it is as captivating as this photo here.

  Hello! Here is my photo for week 4/ inspiration. This is a photo of an affirmation card that I get at the very end of every CODA meeting. There are so many things that translate as inspiration to me in regards to this photo. First, it was taken right after a meeting that was very meaningful and supportive to me. Second, the affirmation card itself is super inspiring to me because of what it says (My journey towards recovery is a testament to my strength and resilience). Lastly, the sunset after this CODA meeting was absolutely stunning AND inspiring. I love the way the clouds looked and the way there was still just a little sun left. I could've taken this photo the other way so that the sun showed the message on the card more but I felt it was more important that you saw as much of the sun and clouds that you could so in the end I didn't mind that the affirmation card was a little tougher to read. Overall, I love this picture and it 100% embodies inspiration to me. 

 Hi everybody! This is a photo of me from a trip I took to Big Sur the summer before this past one. It's of me sitting by a swimming hole that had been the destination of one of our hikes. I remember first walking into the clearing by the creek and being overwhelmed by the scenery. The way the light filtered through the trees and reflected off the water was breathtaking. This space really felt like its' own little realm and I believe the way the light fell is the reason for that. The water was also extremely clear, so you could see the sunlight refracted through the water on the stones of the creek bed. The time we spent at this watering hole felt almost separate from our reality due to how the sunlight fell. Even this photo looks staged (which, I will admit I sat in the sunlight on purpose) but the dispersion of the light was completely natural. This is one of the few times I can distinctly remember being struck, specifically, by how a space was lit, and I knew I needed to use...

  I took this photo last Wednesday, October 8th at my friend's place while grilling K-BBQ.  I was initially drawn to the atmosphere that lighting shaped in the environment. The warm tones provided calming ambience mixed with blue night of the sky. The lighting immersed and blended together really well with the surrounding structures, and it made it look even more natural with palm trees on the side. I appreciated how lighting can really shape the mood and atmosphere, creating a sense of safety. It wasn't too bright, but perfect amount of lighting to provide calmness and warmth.  In addition to the sense of peacefulness I perceived, I appreciated how the lighting can elevate the experience of feeling comfort and together, especially when you are surrounded by a group of people you feel safe to be around with. Even thought it was just a get together moment for a dinner, the design and structure of lighting hightlighted our moments together.

 I took this picture at the Balloon Museum in LA. It's an immersive space with rooms filled with different experiences playing with light, projection, art and objects. As soon as you stepped into this room and the doors closed, air would circulate and the mass amount of balloons would float around you in circles, often attaching to your hair with static electricity and moving in and out of the projected light. The only light in the room was coming from the projection of the grey noise on the circular walls of the room, and the balloons would dance in and out of that light casting shadows while moving. When I stepped into this room, I felt joy, excitement, and fascination with the playfulness of the area. The projections also turned different colors while I was here and that was very entertaining to witness. 

 I took this Picture in 2024,  We went to Dana Point to celebrate a friends birthday with cake and Uno after a Meal together! I love the sun and the warmth it brings to life and this photo! I appreciate how it stays in the Right hand side! I was able to capture the rays of light and i love how they are shaped through the edges of the trees. The sky melts into the warmth the of the sun, which then lays into the deep water. I also enjoy the texture of the ocean, and how it looks upon the rich green grass texture as well! This was such a fun day celebrating a friend, i feel love, connection, peace, enjoyment, contentment, relaxation and gratitude! 

  I took this picture on my phone last month for my first choreographers debut at ClubJete. This picture reflects my perspective of the club when I first walked in. I walked into the club feeling very excited, being a newly 21 year old as well this was my first "club" experience. The experience was even cooler for me while it was a space full of very talented dancers and choreographers. I took out my phone very quickly to take a picture of the cool lighting. The club looked really fascinating to me, I liked the different contrasts with the purple, pink and blue. As well as, the reflections from the disco balls and strips of led on the ceiling!

  I remember taking this photo on the way back home. The California sunset filled the sky with fiery reds and soft blues, and the reflection on the car hood doubled the scene in a striking way. Despite being such an ordinary moment, it gave me a comforting feeling, like the day was closing with a quiet performance just for me. What interests me most is the balance between natural and artificial light. The sunset feels fleeting and in motion, while the headlights, streetlights, and signals create a steady rhythm of illumination. Together they turn an everyday street into something layered and theatrical, reminding me how light can hold both change and permanence at the same time.

  For week 1 blog I have chosen this photo that I took at Corona Del Mar Beach earlier this year. I love taking pictures of sunsets and spending time at the beach. It gives me a sense of relaxation and peace of mind. The position and visibility of the sun really stuck out to me. The sun is illuminating the beach creating a layer of warm colors underneath the blue skies but also creating a shadow on the people walking on the sand. I can also see the reflection of the sun on the ocean and the rays that are creating a diagonal line across the screen. The sun is also highlighting the grooves and the details of the sand which gives the picture texture. 

This is my first post for our blog together. This is a picture of me in May of this year in Mazar-e-Sharif which is a province in Afghanistan. Mazar-e-Sharif does not have mountains so it is a very dusty and dirty desert like city. The air quality is pretty rough and harsh on the lungs. The city is covered in a blanket of clouds and I chose this picture because of how that affects the lighting. Another thing that affects the lighting in this photo are the tiles that I'm standing on. Because of the blanket of clouds and bright tiles, everything in between the two are pretty bright. It was even hard to keep my eyes open for a lot of the time that we were there. The mosque in this photo is called the Blue Mosque and is famous in Mazar-e-Sharif and Afghanistan in general as a sight for tourists. Everything about this mosque is handmade and there are even doves outside and inside of it. It is very tricky for women to get entry into this masjid and once you do get in (and you visibl...

 For week 1, I have chosen a photo I took this summer, in the streets of Tokyo in the night time. I spend most of my summers here, so looking back at this photo gives me a sense of nostalgia, happiness, and warmth. My favorite part of this photo is that although my iPhone camera quality is not great, it captures the light rays of the street light going in many different directions. The light splitting off in different directions yet remaining symmetrical to me is an art within itself. Another thing that sticks out to me is how the vending machine light glows in this photo. There is nothing more comforting than walking the streets of Tokyo at night and having a vending machine light glare at you in the distance. To me, this photo exudes peace and serenity, as I feel very comfortable walking these streets at night in the town I grew up in, but I cannot say the same about walking the streets at night in America. Another highlight of light in this photo is the entryway to some people's...