Young women from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Haltom High School and SMU have been cast in what is, so far, SOLUNA’s most intriguing crossover announcement.
A work called Eyes as Bright as Diamonds commissioned by the classical music festival from Berlin/New York artist Jen Ray winds down the radial staircase of the Meyerson for the first time on April 11, during the Dallas Art Fair. It centers a woman who sings. That singer will be pop artist Sarah Jaffe, who got her start in Denton and Dallas and was just a presenter honoring Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of the B-52s at the 2018 She Rocks Awards.
The world premiere of Eyes as Bright as Diamonds is free to the public.
Full presser:
Dallas, TX (January 31, 2018) – New York-based visual and performance artist Jen Ray will collaborate with Texan singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe on a newly-commissioned performance piece as a prelude to the 2018 Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family SOLUNA International Music & Arts Festival and in partnership with Dallas Art Fair. This world-premiere work will be presented on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, beginning at 5:45 PM. Admission is free to the public.
Eyes as Bright as Diamonds is the creation of Jen Ray, who was raised in South Carolina and established her career in Berlin. Ray’s work explores feminism and the dark side of glamour. In this work, a female singer will unite with squads of women to create a sense of pageantry, celebration and tension. Eyes as Bright as Diamonds will be performed on the radial staircase of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center lobby with viewers situated above the scene. The squads have been cast from three outstanding arts institutions here in North Texas – Booker T. Washington High School, Haltom High School and Southern Methodist University. Tap and ballroom dancers, drumline and color guard will create a sense of spectacle and wonderment. This performance will also highlight the talents of local choreographer Sherri Segovia and stylist Carlos Alonso-Parada.
“As the project came into focus, I knew that the key element would be the female singer,” said Ray. “When Sarah and I met, we knew she would be the perfect fit. She has been an amazing collaborator, helping to shape the work with her music and staging.”
“Now more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that women stand together,” shared Sarah Jaffe. “Jen’s performance ultimately is about women standing together and collaborating in every sense.”
Jaffe also shares how Jen captured the essence of the South in an elegant way. Jen Ray has thoughtfully united talented performers and cultural leaders who will highlight the artistic strength of North Texas.
