Fusion Dance Company's
36th Annual Spring Show
Brown University ~ Alumnae Hall ~ March 2019
Lighting Designer and Master Electrician
This production consisted of a wide range of contemporary dance pieces. Most of the performances utilized minimalist, elegant lighting that served to highlight the dancers' form as well as connect them with the emotional, yet energetic mood of the music. This was my first production at Brown as a lighting designer, so a lot of time was spent experimenting in the space to find the best lighting positions and how to get them operational. Due to the quick tech week, there was not enough time to teach a stage manager when to call the lighting transitions. To solve for this, I programmed in the lighting changes to happen automatically based on a timestamp in the music. This allowed my cues to land exactly where I wanted them, everytime.
The Design Process
- Analyzed rehearsal video recording and music to determine what lighting functions I would need for the production
- Rented equipment from the theater department including $1000+ LED fixtures
- Utilized digital drafting drawings such as AutoCAD and VectorWorks to plan out where to hang lights
- Hung and wired lighting equipment in the grids above the stage
- Trained and led a small team to wire each lighting fixture; most of the people on the team had never done stage lighting before
- Focused lighting to various points on the stage to create back, side, top, and front illumination on the dancers
- Designed, often under an immense time pressure, 15 different dance numbers over a 2 day period; this involves working with the choreographer, programming the lighting console, and adding in effects such as strobe or color cycles