Maria Kochetkova: лазер (laser)
Purpose of the Project
In 2015, we partnered with acclaimed ballerina Maria Kochetkova to explore how a dancer could interact not with a set, but with light itself. The film, titled лазер (“laser”), was one of the very first projects to feature Laser Banding — our pioneering technique that transforms laser beams into floating planes and ribbons of light, captured entirely in-camera.
The goal was to create an improvisational dialogue between dancer and environment. The lasers weren’t background effects: they were active participants in the story, shaping the emotional arc of the performance.
How It Was Made
The project was born from the same creative team that had developed the first Laser Banding effects for the 2015 YouTube Music Awards. Using custom-programmed high-speed lasers, haze, and synchronized camera shutters, we produced real-time volumetric beams that appeared to hover and shift in space.
Maria responded to these forms with movement — slipping between light sheets, pushing against invisible walls, and tracing her limbs through corridors of laser. Unlike CGI, every moment was live and physical, demanding trust between performer and crew.
One of the most powerful moments comes at the end: Maria lying prone, arching her back as a single beam sinks into her body, a striking metaphor of surrender, transformation, and unity between human and light.
Maria Kochetkova
Maria Kochetkova is one of the world’s most celebrated ballet dancers. A winner of the Prix de Lausanne, and former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, she is known for her technical brilliance and emotional depth. Her willingness to step outside of traditional ballet stages made her the perfect partner for лазер — lending artistry, credibility, and vulnerability to a radically experimental project.
Reception and Legacy
Though relatively unknown to the public, лазер was a breakthrough for Laser Banding. Within the industry, it is remembered as one of the earliest demonstrations of the effect’s potential — a proof that lasers could be more than spectacle. Cinematographers and laser designers involved in the shoot later described it as the birth of Laser Banding as an art form, noting how the effect has since been adopted and adapted across live music, television, and art projects.
For Maria, the project showed her openness to new mediums; for our team, it marked the moment where lasers truly became a medium of storytelling.
Conclusion
лазер was intimate, haunting, and ahead of its time. It fused classical ballet with experimental technology, producing a performance where the boundaries between body and beam blurred.
For us, it remains a landmark — one of the very first times Laser Banding left the commercial lab and became art.
SEE IT LIVE
Book a studio visit to explore ideas in person, or request a quote today. We look forward to delivering signature laser moments for your next project.