Dance recital lighting question

[n1ist]

Once again, I have been volunteered to do lighting for my daughter's dance recital. I'm looking for any suggestions on the best way to do it. This recital is for kids 12 months thru 18 years old, with routines ranging from ballet, tap, hip hop, to Irish step.
The facility is a local highschool with a good football program. The stage is roughly 40' wide, 20' deep, and about 90' from the proscenium to rear auditorium wall/"projection booth". Existing lighting consists of about 10 Lekos (about half of which have working bulbs and none are gelled) and a row of parcans gelled red/yellow/blue behind the grand drape, all fed from a LMI bluebox dimmer at least 25 years old. I have about 3 hours to load in and set up, and no way to access the existing lighting battens, so any lighting I bring in has to be freestanding.
In the past, I have set up some 8" fresnels SL/SR gelled pink/light blue to provide some sidelight, another set to light the backdrop, and a row of footlights to help provide some fill. I also used some LED PAR38s to add some uplighting to the curtain between numbers. I have a lot of PAR64s available (I bought out all of the ones from a Hollywood Video store when they closed - 30 of them for $100, never powered up), but am limited on the number of shoebox dimmers I have and avaliable power. For control, I use a laptop feeding a DMX adapter and a ADC to drive the bluebox.
I would like to add a bit more color this year, and would love to even up the lighting as the limited numbers of working lekos are not always aimed where I would like them. Any ideas? I was thinking adding two more booms SL/SR at the downstage edge with some of the PARs, but the angles don't seem like they would work out.
/mike

 

[David Ashton]

You may want to do nice lighting but the parents only want to see there kids so I have found over the years that for the younger kids white lighting as a base, then add your colours to give an impression of colour and movement, as the kids get older you can start to do more adventourous stuff and side lighting is essential for good dance lighting but a practical nightmare with lots of kids wandering about.In brief- keep it bright.

 

[n1ist]

No lamps, just the cans with gel frames and clamps; most still had the cardboard packing around the sockets. They are steel cans and, other than being dusty from years in the air, are fine. I was there on the last day of the closing sale, and had to take them down myself.

 

[Charc]

If ANYONE near Philly reads this please don't go to the Hollywood Video on Broad Street around the 16th, which might be their last day, when they will sell everything, but he doesn't know, so don't call them at 215-455-2286, in a few days to check when the actual closing date is.

But if you do happen to go, shoot me a PM, and bring a ladder... in the meantime, I'll have to learn how to drive downtown, we can split 'em 50/50.

Edit: And to any of you lurkers, I'm serious, bring a ladder, e-mail me.

 

[SerraAva]

, I'll bring a box truck and a few ladders for you Charc.

 

[soundlight]

Hah! I'll be home on that date! Ladder and minivan. It'll be a Philly CB party at Hollywood Video.

 

[derekleffew]

Just DON'T stand above the second to the top step on the ladder! Remember the "3 points of contact" rule. And investigate whose insurance you're covered under if there's an accidental injury, or death. Also, be sure to use only a 6", and not an 8" or larger Adjustable Wrench.

BTT:
It's all about the frontlight! The 'rents want to see their next Ann Millers having their moment in the spotlight. Every time I've tried to make "art" at one of these things, a father with a SunGun-equipped camcorder thwarts my efforts, so I've stopped bothering. You can never have too much frontlight. A sh'load of 750W 405s in OW from the back of the house work well.

 

[jwl868]

mike

I can't offer any real technical advice. (For years now, I've been volunteering to help with the technical side of shows for the dance school that my daughter goes to, though we just use the venue's lights and technicians.)

Put your efforts into the older girls' dances, they are the better dancers, and the "cute" factor of the little kids has long since worn off. (Now that I think about it, try to do something for the seniors.) Find out what the costume colors will be. Try to catch some of the rehearsals to see how much of the stage they are using. Find out if the studio owner has any ideas; after all, it is her/his production.

And (as you are aware), individual members of the audience will be focused on their daughter/granddaughter/niece* when they are on, but those individual audience members will still be watching the other dances and any technical ornamentation will be apprecriated.

[*Yeah, I know there are male dancers, but they are few and far between.]


Good Luck.


Joe

 

[SerraAva]

Insurance, I have more of that then I know what to do with. I think I am up to 5 million liability now. Everyone keeps wanting more and more.

 

[Charc]

, I'll bring a box truck and a few ladders for you Charc.

Hah! I'll be home on that date! Ladder and minivan. It'll be a Philly CB party at Hollywood Video.

Apparently it's on North Broad?... Well, it's 3.7 miles and 11 minutes from my house, not a problem, I'll try and do a site survey at some point, see if it's worth the trouble. (I'll post pics later...?)

 

[SerraAva]

Excellent, as soon as you bounce over the details, I will email an advance out. Being an LD on a movie shoot is incredibly boring.

 

[Charc]

24 x Black PAR64s w/ Gel, Gel Frame, Clamp; DJ Quality

 

[derekleffew]

...24 x Black PAR64s w/ Gel, Gel Frame, Clamp; DJ Quality

Hey, a can's a can! Other than the cheap clamps, and I don't see any connectors, perfectly usable fixtures. I say go for it, but don't pay over $10/each.

 

[DarSax]

Can't get that truss, can you?

 

[Charc]

Can't get that truss, can you?

I'm sure it is faux truss, and has no SWL.

 

[avkid]

I'm sure it is faux truss, and has no SWL.

Pretty decoration though.
Put it on the roof as a christmas decoration to anger the neighbors.

 

[dj_illusions]

I do about 20 dance concerts a year... keep it bright, and use the cyc for colour for the younger girls. with Balet use more skin tone, pink and yellow but dont let it get too dim.

for the older girls and more of the modern and expressive stuff, use the cyc a fair bit to do shillotte effects. also ask the venue if you can chuck some stage blinders on the front edge, makes a good effect onto the cyc for more expressive things.

 

[DarSax]

Well it certainly looks like fake truss, but looks like it's certainly holding up those pars well enough! Looks like you could make a coupla short towers out of them, able to hold up...cheap par cans!

 

[renegadeblack]

24 x Black PAR64s w/ Gel, Gel Frame, Clamp; DJ Quality

THEY ARENT SAFETY CABLED!!!!!! BLASPHEMY!