Hypnotic ‘FIREBIRD’ Production Brings Unique Visual and Auditory Performances to So. Utah
– By Cami Cox –
April 11-13 and 16-18, Touki Delphine’s “FIREBIRD” will be presented at the Center for the Arts at Kayenta, 881 Coyote Gulch Court in Ivins. Described as “a rule-breaking concert program and an extraterrestrial installation in one,” the show will include an “orchestra” constructed entirely of light. Showtimes will be at 7:30 PM, and ticket prices range between $15-$40, with discounted tickets available for students and local artists. This will be an outdoor, general admission seating event.
Touki Delphine is an artist collective of musicians, performers, and visual artists who are visiting Southern Utah from the Netherlands. The production is inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s 1919 “Firebird Suite,” with more than 600 recycled car taillights illuminating the dance of the firebird in this auditory and visual work of art.
Troupe members Bo Koek, Rik Elstgeest, John van Oostrum and Chris Doyle draw from their eclectic backgrounds to create stimulating visual works and modern music performances. “FIREBIRD” is inspired by the climate crisis and the insights of Alexander von Humboldt that nature is a living whole, not a dysfunctional mass — that stones, plants, animals, and people are all permeated by creative force.
“Touki Delphine pursues a restoration of balance between nature and modern humans,” according to information from the performance group. “With all of our technological advancements, humans have significantly disrupted nature over the past two centuries. There is no going back. But maybe there’s a way forward. Not by deeming technology the leading culprit, but by achieving a new harmony with the help of that technology.” Using recycled materials, technological inventions, and new or adapted compositions, Touki Delphine creates installations that explore these themes and the relationship between nature, humans, and technology.
Tickets for “FIREBIRD” can be purchased online. For more information, call (435) 674-2787, boxoffice@kayentaarts.com, or visit KayentaArts.org.
