Themes Spectacular Performance

This collection of extraordinary dancers, actors, musicians, magicians and storytellers will bring both sides of your brain to life.

Pianist Jennifer Lin, just 14 at the time of her performance, confects spirited (and altogether unrehearsed) compositions from spur-of-the-moment audience suggestions. Jazz-inspired guitarist and singer Raul Midon riles up 2007 TEDsters with songs about Google, technology, dreams and a child's fear of "invisible forces." And Vusi Mahlasela, a crucial artistic voice during the fight against apartheid, shares his soulful, optimistic songs of protest and solidarity. (Be sure to watch his encore performance.)

Pilobolus' smooth, organic choreography -- featuring unusual partnering and lifts -- blurs the lines between individual performers, creating a sense of dance-troupe-as-organism. And in a feat of agility and optical illusion, urban-inspired dancer Kenichi Ebina teases and twirls a mischievous wisp of light.

Also check out "mathemagician" Arthur Benjamin's massive on-the-fly multiplications -- calculations so fast you might think it's magic. Or wordsmith Rives' observations on the eerie coincidences surrounding that most surreal of hours: 4 a.m. And don't miss veteran TEDster Tom Rielly's comic send-up of the 2006 conference: not even our sponsors are safe!