Young women from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Haltom High
School and SMU have been cast in what is, so far, SOLUNA’s most intriguing crossover
announcement.

A work called Eyes as Bright as Diamonds commissioned by the classical music festival from
Berlin/New York artist Jen Ray winds down the radial staircase of the Meyerson for the first time
on April 11, during the Dallas Art Fair. It centers a woman who sings. That singer will be pop
artist Sarah Jaffe, who got her start in Denton and Dallas and was just a presenter honoring
Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson of the B-52s at the 2018 She Rocks Awards.

The world premiere of Eyes as Bright as Diamonds is free to the public.

Full presser:

Dallas, TX (January 31, 2018) – New York-based visual and performance artist Jen Ray will
collaborate with Texan singer/songwriter Sarah Jaffe on a newly-commissioned performance
piece as a prelude to the 2018 Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family SOLUNA
International Music & Arts Festival and in partnership with Dallas Art Fair. This world-premiere
work will be presented on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, beginning at 5:45 PM. Admission is free
to the public.

Eyes as Bright as Diamonds is the creation of Jen Ray, who was raised in South Carolina and
established her career in Berlin. Ray’s work explores feminism and the dark side of glamour. In
this work, a female singer will unite with squads of women to create a sense of pageantry,
celebration and tension. Eyes as Bright as Diamonds will be performed on the radial staircase of
the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center lobby with viewers situated above the scene. The
squads have been cast from three outstanding arts institutions here in North Texas – Booker T.
Washington High School, Haltom High School and Southern Methodist University. Tap and
ballroom dancers, drumline and color guard will create a sense of spectacle and wonderment.
This performance will also highlight the talents of local choreographer Sherri Segovia and stylist
Carlos Alonso-Parada.

“As the project came into focus, I knew that the key element would be the female singer,” said
Ray. “When Sarah and I met, we knew she would be the perfect fit. She has been an amazing
collaborator, helping to shape the work with her music and staging.”

“Now more than ever, it is of the utmost importance that women stand together,” shared Sarah
Jaffe. “Jen’s performance ultimately is about women standing together and collaborating in
every sense.”

Jaffe also shares how Jen captured the essence of the South in an elegant way. Jen Ray has
thoughtfully united talented performers and cultural leaders who will highlight the artistic
strength of North Texas.