Lighting
  • Side lights are essential to a
    dance performance, it makes the
    dancers appear more sculptural.  

  • Front lighting is reserved for
    color washes or specials.  

  • Too much top lighting can make
    peformers look shorter and
    heavy.

  • Kickers (floor Side lights is
    essential to a dance performance,
    it level lights at the front of the
    stage) were used for level lights
    at the front of the stage) were
    used for years to light dancers
    legs, give a great vintage years to
    light dancers legs, give a great
    vintage vaudeville look, but can
    cast strange shadows on
    vaudeville look, but can cast
    strange shadows on the face.

  • Using Gobos (metal sheets cut
    with patterns) and back lighting
    on the curtains provides depth
    and shows off the background
    but keep it simple!

  • For dance performances with
    young children keep your lighting
    nice and bright so we can see
    them and they can see us (the
    itsy bitsy dance babies can also
    get scared in the dark)!  For
    older dancers you can useless
    light but add more contrast.  

  • Keep colors pink and pretty for
    Ballet, more saturated tones can
    be used for Modern and
    contemporary pieces.  Color and
    saturation level help create mood
    but can also cut down on
    brightness so you might have to
    add more lights.

  • From there you can start thinking
    about adding effect lights over
    your general wash.

  • Avoid solid saturated colored
    party gels in all blue, red, orange
    or green.  Nobody looks good
    under all green lights unless you
    are doing a dance performance
    about aliens.  Don't allow the
    light colors to clash with the
    costumes.  

  • If the lights seem to bright and
    strong, adding a soft diffusion gel
    can help soften without cuting
    down light and make the eyes
    feel better.

  • And remember the lights will
    wash out your makeup so make
    it strong and clear.  You won't
    "show up" on film if your
    wearing everyday makeup. For
    theater makeup use more than
    usual because it accentuates your
    features.   Eyes, lips and a good
    base to even out skin tones is a
    must.
  • If using the microphone on the
    camera to record sound
    accompaniment of the dance, it
    is best to locate the audio
    source near the camera for best
    the camera will pick up all
    sound, including audience noise,
    applause and the occasional
    heckler!

  • If sound accompaniment is pre-
    recorded on a CD, take a line
    feed from your the player or
    sound board directly to the
    input of your camera will
    provide the best/sharpest
    sound.  If this cannot be done
    due to set up or distance, ask
    the sound tech to record a live
    feed from the mixing desk to
    either a computer, or CD.  This
    will give you a perfect mix of
    the audio to synchronise with
    the video in post production.  
    The final option is to provide
    your vidoegrapher with a copy
    of pre-recorded music and it
    can be dubbed over during
    editing.  

  • If using a live band, make sure
    the musicians are adequate ly
    amplified and zills may not be
    picked up by a camera placed
    far away.  Using a floor
    microphone ads extra impact
    during a flamenco solo.



British Columbia Professional
Videographers Association webpage
Performance

Lighting for Dance with diagrams
from Northern State University

Lighting for Dance from Mac Sound

SPOTLIGHT TUTORIAL:  Lighting
Design for Dance by Angstrom
Lighting

How to prepare Music for your Belly
Dance Show  by Denis Kavemeier
from Magical Motion, Belly Dancing
with Atea' & Friends
Productions, unless otherwise noted.  Any use in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission.