Talent

Zen Arts in Southern California offers an array of entertainment that can take place in or around a pool, including their transparent spheres that hold performers and float on water.

For Yahoo's Genome relaunch party in New York, organizers brought in a trio of synchronized swimmers from Gotham Synchro to swim in the venue's indoor pool. The water dancers sported alien-inspired body suits as a nod to the event's futuristic theme.

Lumina the Laser Violinist puts a futuristic spin on a classic instrument. The musicians, booked solo or as a duo or trio, play with a laser bow while standing among pulsing light beams. Based in the U.K., Lumina travels worldwide; fees range from $5,000 to $12,000 not including travel costs.

At this year's Prudential Real Estate's conference in Orlando, Dallas-based Corporate Magic paired live dancers with digitized butterfly wings projected inside floating orbs to create a single, fluid movement of person and pixels onstage. In-house animators achieved the effect by using green-screen technology. Prices start at $10,000.

The laser harp from Lightwave International has light beams instead of strings for its performers to pluck. When the performer’s finger interrupts the beam, it sends a signal to its audio technology to play the corresponding note. A performance costs between $7,000 and $12,000.

At the 2010 National Opera Ball, the winter theme continued into the courtyard, which featured fake snow falling from the rooftop and was designed as a tribute to the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Entertainers circled the snow-filled courtyard in inflated Zorbs.

Michael Feinstein, Judith Hill, the Gregg Field Band, and Smitten Blu supplied the night's entertainment.

Orlando's Impact Entertainment Services is now offering 3-D chalk art. Artist Jennifer Chaparro can create designs based on a theme or draw corporate logos on surfaces such as canvas and cement.