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Introducing the Light Dancer: A Mesmerising New Illusion

If you've ever wondered what it's like to bring a ballet to life with your own hands, then our newest exhibit, Light Dancer, is one you simply have to try.

Here at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, we love illusions that feel like magic and Light Dancer is just that. It’s hands-on, mesmerising, and entirely unique (in fact, there’s nothing else quite like it in the world). Built right here by our in-house team, this beautiful spinning machine is our modern take on one of the earliest forms of animation: the zoetrope.

 

A young ballet dancer in a white tutu stand in front of a new exhibit called Light Dancer at Camera Obscura

 

 

So, What Exactly Is Light Dancer?

Light Dancer works like this: you turn a handle, and that spins a large circular disc. Above you, a projector casts a razor-thin beam of light that slices through the spinning figures on the disc. As they pass through the beam, each figure lights up individually and your brain stitches these flashes into movement. The result? An enchanting illusion of dancing figures springing into motion right before your eyes.

And there’s more. As you spin the handle, the music plays in time with your speed - speed up, and the music races with you; slow down, and it eases into a lullaby. The tune? Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, adding even more magic to the moment. Meanwhile, coloured lights pulse and change with the rhythm, spotlighting different dancers as they twirl to your touch.

Why a Zoetrope?

Much like the rest of Camera Obscura it blends past and present technologies in imaginative ways. Light Dancer combines the old-fashioned wind-up motion of an Edwardian gramophone with modern animation, light and sound effects and projection mapping. 
Light Dancer is a new kind of zoetrope, an old-school device that’s all about bringing still images to life. Long before cinema, televisions or GIFs, there were zoetropes: spinning toys that used persistence of vision to create the illusion of movement. The word itself comes from the Greek for “life” (zoe) and “turning” (tropos) - so it literally means “wheel of life.” 

Our exhibit takes inspiration from some of the most captivating zoetropes in history, including 3D creations by Studio Ghibli and Pixar. But we wanted to do something different. We were especially inspired by the work of Japanese artist Akinori Goto, who uses 3D-printed figures and projected light to tell stories in motion.

We also gave the whole piece a distinct aesthetic. The cabinet that houses Light Dancer is styled after Art Nouveau, with curved decorative panels and window motifs drawn from the poster art of Alphonse Mucha and the elegant entrances of the Paris Metro. It’s a nod to old-world beauty, tucked inside a building full of Victorian charm and scientific wonder.

 

A colourful exhibit shows many cut out dancers spinning to create the illusion of movement at Camera Obscura

 

Meet Our Dancer

To help us launch Light Dancer, we were joined by 11-year-old local ballet dancer Emily Nicoll, who visited Camera Obscura dressed in a delicate white tutu, bringing our animated ballerinas to life in the real world. Watching her twirl beside the exhibit was a lovely reminder of the joy and wonder this new illusion brings to both kids and grown-ups alike. Emily studies dance with Morag Alexander School of Dancing, and attends Wallyford Primary School in East Lothian. 

We encourage you to come and give Light Dancer a whirl yourself. Whether you’re a science buff, an animation nerd, or just someone who loves a bit of magic, we think you’ll be just as enchanted as we are.

 

A young girl looks through the glass at an exhibit of colourful cut out dancers at Camera Obscura

 

Why We Love It

Light Dancer isn’t just fun, it’s meaningful. It connects the dots between science, history, music, and movement. It shows how illusions work, and how simple mechanical tricks can become something genuinely spectacular. It’s a celebration of the past and a playful invitation to explore how things move, light up, and surprise us.
So next time you’re visiting us here at Camera Obscura, don’t miss the chance to step into the world of Light Dancer. Give the handle a spin, watch the dancers leap into action, and let yourself be swept up in a little moment of illusionary magic.

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