Lighting design is an essential part of choreography because it allows the choreographer to control how the audience sees and experiences a work.
Know Your Objective
The primary objective of lighting is visibility. What do you want your audience to see? For example, to emphasize a soloist, a choreographer my chose to light her with a single pool of down light (a circle of light surrounding a dancer) with the remainder of the stage dark. Most theaters have at least nine pools of down light, arranged in a grid.
It is also possible to light a path (a strip of light running from upstage to downstage), a plane (a strip of light running from stage left to stage right), or a diagonal (a strip of light running from downstage left to upstage right, or visa versa). These various strips of light can emphasize dancers where they are in a corresponding formation.
Select Your Backdrop
Most often, a choreographer will have two options for the curtain that hangs in the back of the stage.
Consider Color
If you decide to use colored light, consider what colors will compliment your work. Consider the color of your costumes, and what mood you would like to strike with the audience. In general, warm colors (yellow, red, and orange) can be used to evoke feelings of excitement, warmth, and even anger. In contrast, cool colors (blue, green, and purple) are considered to be more soothing, and can evoke feelings of sadness or romance.
Be Prepared
There is never enough time for tech rehearsals. When you arrive at the lighting booth, it is vital to have your lighting cues prepared.
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