I was curious about the premise of Jaylee and Lulu Stone’s upcoming show Green Light Effect. They both graciously agreed to be interviewed for BDNE about the unique and innovative origins of the show. – Amy Smith

BDNE: Could you elaborate on the show theme of “consensual art”, and the various interactions in which permission and consent come into play?

LULU: Permission itself plays a huge role in Green Light Effect – independent musicians from around the country gave us express permission to use their work in our show. However, we chose the word “consensual” as our tagline because we feel it carries even more complex social nuance than “permission”. Permission is the act of one party conceding or allowing something; consent is a mutual agreement by multiple parties. Green Light Effect deals with various complex aspects of consent, using it to contextualize relationships, including those among artists and between artists and the community.

JAYLEE:  This is a really multidimensional use of the words “permission” and “consent” which is why I think makes this a unique production. Beyond using music with direct permission from each musical artist and making the artists a feature of our program, each performance piece dives into an exploration of how consent, or lack thereof, affects us in our everyday lives—so it presents an opportunity for connection with our audience on a personal level, too. And the talent involved in this production is just as dynamic as the concept: musicians from near and (very) far lending us songs with an array of stylizations and origins; and performing artists with incredibly diverse cultural backgrounds and dance styles. A great mix of purpose and art.

BDNE: Was there a particular reason you were inspired to do this show?

LULU: Jaylee and I were both really excited about the idea of collaboration in general; the Boston belly dance scene has grown so much over the past few years, and some really fabulous professional and personal relationships have flourished. We started brainstorming a way to showcase that, and the idea for this show (and this cast) was born. I really wanted to take the collaborative effort one step further, and convinced Jaylee to support my harebrained scheme to pull a bunch of musicians into the boat with us! Music is the backbone of our dance. I feel that, especially in the era of social media domination, it’s really important for dancers to make an effort to seek collaboration/consent when it comes to the music we are using. It’s something I’ve been meditating on for awhile, and I figured I should put my money where my mouth is and make a whole show where the music itself is a collaborative effort. Plus, there is a ripple effect here: now the dancers have been exposed to fantastic new musicians (some of them local), musicians are getting interested in what we are doing, and, at the show, the community at large will be exposed to dance and music they may not yet know!

JAYLEE:  I love Lulu’s passion for this collaborative effort – how could I not get just as excited! I’m so honored to be a part of this effort to bring this concept to light. My personal emphasis has been more on the content of the performance pieces: how we can portray issues of consent to an audience and create some conversation around that.  Right now there is a lot of turmoil surrounding permission and consent in myriad facets of our lives – you see it all over the news and social media.  The Green Light Effect is a discussion with our community on what happens when we get “the green light”— the approval, the go-ahead — and what happens when we don’t?  How does consent and permission mold us, shape us, and change us?  How does it color our community and networks; interpersonally, locally, and globally?  The goal is to explore, and spark some great conversation and connections.

BDNE: What is the “take away” for the audience?

LULU: Two things. One: belly dance has earned its stripes as a form of high art, and two: artists in general are agents of social change and vital to the essence of every community.

JAYLEE: I want the audience to come away having learned more about our dance form, and the musicians whose music inspires and colors our art. I want questions to come up, networks to be established, and a healthy dialogue started. I want to show that in our dance community, we can collaborate more closely and use music respectfully. In a word, connection. And we hope to connect with all of you at Green Light Effect!