You've seen her mesmerizing revelers from Masquerade Motel to LIV to Space. Covered in LED lights and beaming 17 lasers into the night, the Bionic Ballerina is one of the most jaw-dropping nightlife acts Miami has seen in a while, a hypnotizing woman dancing en pointe in the club while lit up like a space-age holiday display.
"I always wanted to shoot lasers," laughs Zhantra Entertainment performer Milena Hale, the Bionic Ballerina herself. "I saw a Christmas music video and I thought, 'Oh, maybe I'll cover myself in lights!' ...No one's taken pointe to the club or any nightlife or DJ venue."
Presenting her idea to CEO Bengy Cid and art director and fashion designer Gustavo Casanovas just days before "something special" was required for the Swedish House Mafia's Halloween party, the three collaborated on what would shortly become the most talked-about and most-booked club act of the season, a combination of classical dance and technological innovation would soon have devoted fans bearing gifts of tiny lights to give to Hale in the club.
"We were super busy, the company had more than 500 bookings, and I was supposed to do 30 costumes for that night," recalls Casanovas. "We finished it with 30 minutes left, I gave it to her, and she ran to the stage. Then everybody texted me [from the party], saying 'Oh, you must see this costume, it's amazing, it's fabulous.' And it was Milena!"
"The rest was history," says Cid, whose company was immediately flooded with requests for the ballerina in black (a pink version debuted this spring). "But it's not just the costume. We could make ten costumes like that, but there's not many girls who can do the Bionic Ballerina; Milena's been dancing since she was born."
While the trio wouldn't reveal all the secrets of the stunning construction, they did share with The Feast a few tidbits of how it came together, what happens if a bulb goes out, and what it's like to be inside the most sought-after club costume in the Magic City.
Welcome to IT Dept., where we demystify the tech that makes bars and clubs tick.
Image courtesy Dan Vidal/seenightlife.com
Performance Footage courtesy A3 Networks
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