{"id":4398,"date":"2023-02-20T14:41:05","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T22:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=4398"},"modified":"2026-08-30T21:24:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T04:24:07","slug":"an-illuminating-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/an-illuminating-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"An Illuminating Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chic<\/span><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

This article was printed in<\/em>
\nChic Compass Magazine - Issue 13<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/a><\/center><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"iLuminate\u2019s<\/span><\/div><\/div>

iLuminate\u2019s Las Vegas residency features numerous types of music, as Kotb wanted to create a show that everyone could enjoy. <\/em>Photo by Kim Metz<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

An Illuminating Journey<\/h1>\n

Two-time Cancer Survivor Miral Kotb on Bringing iLuminate to Life<\/p>\n

BY HEATHER TURK<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>

During one of the darkest times of her life, iLuminate creator\/founder Miral Kotb discovered the light\u2014both metaphorically and literally speaking.<\/p>\n

Growing up, Kotb always had a passion for dance and technology. She began writing computer software when she was just nine years old and went on to study coding at Columbia University. All the while, Kotb never gave up on following in the footsteps of her father, who previously performed in Egypt\u2019s national dance troupe, by continuing her own dance training. When Kotb finally reached the point in her life where she was ready to leave her job as a software engineer at Bloomberg to become a full-time dancer, she got some devastating news that would end up changing the course of her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey found a tumor in my right hip,\u201d Kotb, diagnosed with sarcoma in 2001, told Chic Compass. \u201cThe diagnosis was so bad there was potential for my leg to be amputated, and I\u2019d never be able to dance again. I was very lucky that they didn\u2019t have to remove my hip, and I could continue dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
\"Left:<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Kotb said she loves coding because it\u2019s a \u201cfun and inclusive field. It\u2019s just you, your ideas, and your passion that shines.\u201d Photo by Kim Metz<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Kotb ended up leaving Bloomberg to become a freelancer focused on website coding instead, which she did while traveling around Europe. After returning to America, she decided to attend Apple\u2019s app developer conference, where she learned about wireless chips getting so small they could be put into everyday devices. Kotb\u2019s mind immediately went to dance, realizing that she could put a chip on a dancer and be able to communicate with them wirelessly in real-time while they performed. She then cultivated that idea into having the chips control synchronized lights attached to dancers, and in 2009, the theatrical and technology group iLuminate was born.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I realized I could merge my love of art and my passion for technology to make this really cool, immersive experience that was unlike anything I had ever seen, it just made sense,\u201d Kotb stated. \u201cI had a prototype in a matter of weeks of the initial light suit, thanks to using my friends as guinea pigs. We eventually caught the eye of many celebrities, including GRAMMY Award-winning superstars Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, and the Black Eyed Peas, who wanted to use this technology. We went on to appear on \u2018America\u2019s Got Talent\u2019 in 2011, where we came in third place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Kotb couldn\u2019t enjoy iLuminate\u2019s success for long. She wasn\u2019t feeling quite right and discovered in 2017 that she had acute myeloid leukemia caused by the radiation from her first bout with cancer. Once again, Kotb found the strength and courage to fight the disease, and once she was in remission, she set her sights on a Las Vegas residency for iLuminate.<\/p>\n

\u201cAny cancer journey can make you spiral a bit, but I knew I wanted to create something special with my two passions, so that gave me strength\u2014and I\u2019m a very tenacious person,\u201d Kotb said.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
\"Kotb<\/span><\/div><\/div>

Kotb said her favorite number in iLuminate\u2019s Las Vegas show is the prohibition scene, as it brings \u201cthe incredible sounds of big band jazz music to life through choreographed lights and movement.\u201d Photo by Kim Metz<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

The obstacles weren\u2019t over for Kotb just yet, however. With a premiere date set at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod for March 26, 2020, iLuminate\u2019s residency had to be put on hold once Las Vegas temporarily closed all of its productions because of the COVID pandemic. Kotb took that time to make the show even better, and in August 2021, iLuminate finally celebrated its long-awaited Las Vegas debut.<\/p>\n

A multi-sensory experience that showcases the talents of some of the country\u2019s top dancers and choreographers while using customized LED light suits, the dazzling, dancing-in-the-dark production recently announced that it has been extended at The STRAT until June\u2014an impressive feat considering how many shows in Las Vegas that also premiered during the pandemic have since closed. Needless to say, iLuminate\u2019s success would have never been possible without the strength and conviction of its creator, who never lost her focus no matter how many obstacles she faced along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always say, let all your doubts happen before you commit,\u201d Kotb said. \u201cOnce you\u2019ve committed to pursuing something, don\u2019t look back. I say this with experience. Not just battling cancer or a worldwide pandemic shutting you down, but every step of the way, have conviction and commit to yourself. Even the 2021 launch of iLuminate had its ups and downs, but I learned to stay true to myself and my vision and not be afraid to step back and reevaluate. It certainly was a journey getting here, but I am thrilled that we just celebrated our first anniversary and have won some wonderful awards (including the 2022 Best of Vegas award for Best Date Show) along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
\"iLuminate<\/span><\/div><\/div>

iLuminate combines state-of-the-art technology with dynamic dancers performing in the dark, creating a visual arts experience audiences of all ages will love. Photo courtesy of iLuminate<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

As for what\u2019s next for the inspirational entrepreneur, Kotb joked that she \u201ccan\u2019t not be creative.\u201d Not only would she love to see iLuminate continue to call Las Vegas home, but she\u2019d also love to launch a touring production, create a kids\u2019 television show and write a book about iLuminate and her life. Additionally, Kotb plans to empower young women to get into the coding field by continuing to mentor them. Regardless of where Kotb\u2019s bright future takes her, one thing is certain: she won\u2019t waste any time thinking about the darkness in her past.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really try to look forward and not back,\u201d she stated. \u201c\u2018Everything Happens for a Reason\u2018 is a motto I try to keep in the back of my head. Otherwise, you can go crazy with the \u2018why did I\u2019 or \u2018what ifs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

iLuminate performs inside The STRAT Theater Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., with an additional 3 p.m. performance on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit iluminate.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
\"Kotb<\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

Kotb believes that \u201cthe people you surround yourself with are the key to success in life.\u201d Photo by Kim Metz<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During one of the darkest times of her life, iLuminate creator\/founder Miral Kotb discovered the light\u2014both metaphorically and literally speaking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4520,3859],"tags":[3628,3878,3877,3876,3879],"class_list":["post-4398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-issue-13","tag-heather-turk","tag-iluminate","tag-kim-metz","tag-miral-kotb","tag-the-strat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4398"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4404,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4398\/revisions\/4404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}