Show production has its degrees and dimensions of difference. As the responsibilities, roles and debts expand the hole can get deeper and darker. No malice intended or implied by the dark, but certain types of show production separate the ordinary from the extraordinary and test the character of those involved.
Luxe Coleman
interdisciplinary movement artist, instructor and creative director
Interdisciplinary movement artist Luxe Coleman is stepping into that space of show production. She recently was tapped to curate a non-white, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour movement show sponsored by Crux Collective, an Atlanta-based performance troupe in residence at the Windmill Arts Venue. And thus “Blacklight” came into being. We got the tea on her process of coming into this new role as creative director and all the revelations that are lighting up in the darkness.
How did Luxe, you, come to be?
I came to be from being unafraid to allow the parts of myself that I would normally compartmentalize, to exist in harmony. This journey started as a curiosity and exploration of my body for what it could do. As I leaned more into the artistry of it, I realized my journey was more than just me—teaching revealed that to me. The more I moved freely through every space I entered as my full self, the more it gave room for others to do the same.
Over the last year you’ve begun to expand from movement artist to creative director, what are some lessons that you’ve carried over from your previous experiences? Are there any revelations that have come as a surprise?
Movement taught me that every detail matters.Pacing, breath, environment, trust. Especially trust. Those same principles apply to my approach to directing, because I’m shaping an experience, not just a visual.
A lesson that I’ve carried from the past is that interpersonal relationships are actually the hardest part of expansion. Expansion comes with growing pains, and as you change your role, it changes the way people that are used to seeing you in another role interact with you, and navigating this change requires grace and candor. It’s a lesson I learned when I went from being an aerial student to an instructor, and if I’m being honest with myself, I think it’s a forever lesson because we are always shifting and evolving.
Did you/do you feel ready?
As it [Blacklight Show] gets closer, that answer honestly changes from day to day. The more I align with walking in my divine purpose, the more I realize I’m called before I’m ready and being ready comes through action.
You’ve visited plenty of aerial spaces stateside and internationally. What sorts of spaces bring forth your most sincere movement?
Spaces where people care about craft, safety, expression, and presence. I move best where curiosity lives, where artists are respected, and where the room allows honesty. Sincere movement comes when the body feels safe enough to tell the truth. I’ve been in spaces where my nervous system couldn’t relax and I couldn’t even receive what was being offered to me, but those negative experiences helped to shape my approach as a movement facilitator.
Black people are treated like a well or currency carrier of creativity. Do you believe this? If so, why?
Absolutely, wholeheartedly believe this and I love that you asked this question. Our culture shapes EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING, while we don’t receive the equal protection, credit, or investment that we deserve. I learned from my career in tech that as a Black woman playing small leads to extraction of your work and your erasure. I have a long history of doing work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion ( I feel in today’s climate it’s important to spell it out because there’s a lot tied to the acronym to the point that we’ve lost what it actually means) and Equity is the most important part. It’s not enough to just have black and brown bodies in the room. It needs to be an equitable experience.
It’s why I am pouring my all into BlackLight. Before I even had a name for the show, I had the through-line, and I knew I wanted it to be more than just a stage. I wanted to intentionally elevate artists and truly build connections, and let folks tell their own stories on their own terms.
The BlackLight promotional media was filmed in Le Cabinet Noire. Can you talk about your creative preparation from ideation to the resulting moments captured in the Cylorama Blanc?
The BlackLight visuals were centered around the thought that melanated bodies don’t just reflect light…we create it. I remember being up at 3 a.m and the concept was moving through me as I storyboarded and crafted the shot list. Every projection and visual was chosen based on the energy I wanted each artist to embody and how I wanted that energy to land with the audience.
The intention wasn’t just to invite participation in BlackLight, it was to create a field of resonance, so that artists who felt that energy would know this was a space ready to hold the full expression of their light. The shoot was initially rescheduled due to an ice storm, so we ended up shooting on the day the announcement video went out and that shoot will forever be a core memory for me. We were able to shoot multiple apparatuses and ground work, and each artist’s visuals looked completely different yet cohesive, which aligns to the throughline of the show. People mention those visuals to me a lot, and bringing a 3am vision to life and to have it not only resonate with people, but inspire people to answer the casting call means the world to me.
Chemistry is a core value in your approach, can you impart how impactful chemistry can be with the space one is in to the crew they choose to support them in executing a vision in a space?
Chemistry is the difference between a concept surviving or becoming transcendent. Talent matters, but energy matters too. The right crew sharpens instincts and makes experimentation feel safe. I love to collaborate with people who bring skill, but also generosity, emotional intelligence, and belief in the work. People feel the unseen dynamics behind what they witness. Good chemistry translates on the camera or stage, and in the final experience. That’s why I create in LCN so often. The cyclorama blanc is the perfect blank canvas to transform, but LCN it’s is more than a canvas, it’s a vessel for creatives to bring their full selves and their boldest, bravest work to life. You can feel that from the intention and care that y’all put into the space and every step of the process.
Photos: Courtesy Luxe, Blacklight Promotional Photography Rachel (Amanita) Profile and archive shots by @notakillah. Blacklight Promotional Videos: Theatrixx
Set Locations: Inside Le Cabinet Noire Studio, Mirror Immersive & The Parlour Lounge
Contact Information: Luxe Coleman – www.aerial-luxe.com
BLACKLIGHT Movement Arts Showcase
A weekend long curated lineup of movement artists bringing what lives in the body into view. Aerial and ground work shaped by lived experience.
Learn More & Buy Tickets: https://www.blacklightatl.com/
Career & Creator Studio Packages
Have a trusted and safe space to record, practice, build worlds and execute the creative visions you’ve imagined. Check out Le Cabinet Noire’s Aerialist or Wellness Content Creator Package that’s available to aerialists, mat pilates practitioners, fitness influencers, pole dance content creators, yoga guides, energy workers and more.
Learn more: https://lecabinetnoire.com/artist-creative-rental-packages/
About Inside Their Space Atlanta
As a profile column, Inside Their Space Atlanta takes you into the worlds of local artists and creatives to expose hidden wisdom and talent. Le Cabinet Noire Studio is a mysterious black box of wonder that gives creators the ability to make something out of nothing, and this column spotlights the brilliant human beings who are building and emerging out of darkness.