Working with Choreographers...

[shiben]

If you've never held a Costume Designer at gunpoint to force him to show you costume swatches, or threatened a Scenic Designer's children when she doesn't want to draw you a vertical section, I'm afraid you haven't been a Lighting Designer long enough.

I am still kinda young... So yeah. I did have to break into the costume shop to get color swatches once... Does that get me any points?

 

[SteveB]

. It's not so much about needing to know the language, per say; "flippy kicky jump" works just as well as "tour jete." But more about understanding the language and purpose behind the movement.

This is so very true.

When watching the rehearsals, you need to pay attention to the movement and the music. You need to stop maybe trying to have a verbal conversation with the choreographer and instead watch for all the myriad clues about the piece that come out of what you see and hear. The music is chosen for a reason and you need to find out why, as that may be the best clue as to what the piece is about, as well as the best sense of the tempo and feel for the piece your going to get. Ask the choreographer how they see or visualize the piece (that old time and place thing), but then find out if the movement and music jives with what you see and hear and what the choreographer verbalized to you and don't be surprised if they don't. Go with your gut feeling and remember that sometimes there's a connection with a choreographer and sometimes not. One of the most famous connections was between Michael Bennett and Tharon Musser (A Chorus Line, Ballroom, Dreamgirls), as example.

Remember as well that unlike other theatrical forms, dance allows you an amazing amount of freedom in the lighting design. In all other forms - Theater, Musical, Opera, where other aspects, the script, score, set and costumes, define much of the space and time, in dance the lighting does ALL that, with some help from costumes and occasionally costumes and scenery (think ballet) (opinion-ated comment here). If you can find a connection to the choreographer, you may well find that dance lighting can be extremely rewarding.

 

[mstaylor]

My first wife taught in a studio as well as choreographing shows and ballets. Well guess who gets to the head of all things tech, her husband the light guy. This was almost thirty years ago so all practice in the studio was done to LPs. The owner would have all the music recorded to reel to reel but would not preview it or use it for rehearsal. She paid no attention to any lighting questions I asked or any preset I put on the stage. So I would put different looks up and design on the fly. Then on the first show the sound guy and I would cross our fingers and hold on for the ride.

 

[shiben]

My first wife taught in a studio as well as choreographing shows and ballets. Well guess who gets to the head of all things tech, her husband the light guy. This was almost thirty years ago so all practice in the studio was done to LPs. The owner would have all the music recorded to reel to reel but would not preview it or use it for rehearsal. She paid no attention to any lighting questions I asked or any preset I put on the stage. So I would put different looks up and design on the fly. Then on the first show the sound guy and I would cross our fingers and hold on for the ride.

That sounds remarkably like our Dance Guild shows at my old school, except rehearsals off of youtube. Its always fun when you pop on your lights and realize you REALLY need a pink wash and your scrollers are moving during the time you need it, so you get to choose to cut the blue/amber/red (pick your poison) wash or hang more lights, then find out at dress 2 you wont need it after all.