Code Romeo is a movement-driven dance theatre piece presented at the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. The piece blended contemporary choreography with fragmented lines from Romeo and Juliet. The performance navigates themes of irony, loss, and the expression of raw emotions.
 
As the art director also the lighting designer, I sought to create a design that emphasized contrast and transformation. The interplay between stark top lighting and precise face lighting accentuated the dancers' physicality, amplifying moments of tension and release. The shifting light sculpted the space, isolating performers at key moments while allowing shadows to bleed into the stage. I felt this was a good approach to the reinforcement of the themes of solitude and grief.
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The final sequence was a solo performed nearly nude. This was framed through dynamic lighting shifts. My intent was to heighten vulnerability, and to pave the way through to an emotional catharsis. I used strategic dimming and directional focus to guide the audience’s gaze, intensifying the contrast between exposure and concealment. I felt the minimalist lighting approach served to deepen the performance’s visceral impact, making the absence of light as expressive as its presence.

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Process images below.

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