This article was taken from the March 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Vicky Butterfly has learnt how to fly. At least, that's the illusion the London-based burlesque dancer, 30, creates with The Moth, her illuminated dress. The stage darkens halfway through her show of the same name, leaving the dress's fluttering wings as the only source of light, giving the impression that she is spinning in mid-air. "I think there is always something magical about light," says Butterfly. "I wanted to get the effect of a moth who has actually caught fire by flying too close to the flame." Those flames are represented by the LED wands on her palms, which were part of the dress she created for the show in 2007. Since then, she has tinkered with the dress and completed the floating effect with glowing electroluminescent wire.
Butterfly was introduced to burlesque while studying theatre design at Central Saint Martins. Her design background influenced her experiments with technology, which include the use of up-lit platforms that make her appear to burst into flames and projecting live video of her performances on to herself. "I'm very interested in transformation and illusion. Even when the effect is very lo-fi, the answer is usually based in science."
For future performances, she plans to upgrade her costume by removing the wings from the dress and using LED strips on the stage to create images of them that are synchronised with her arm movements. "I'm looking into more complex technologies, that are sophisticated enough to be able to create the desired effect without supporting props," Butterfly explains. "I am interested in creating stage magic."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
