- Lighting Design
- Animation projection for spatial effect on stage
- Installation of projection Screens
- Dance performance at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. and Gunston Hall in Virginia.
Title, “In Hiding“
For “In Hiding” a Jane Franklin Dance production, I designed an animation and the theatre layout of the projected surface:three transparent scrim-like curtains, one with a doorway cut out of it. The curtains were hung, in a staggered fashion, so the dancers could move between the space. The animation projected on two panels and changing theatre lights were directed on the third panel. I worked with Jane Franklin, choreographer, Gina Biver, composer and theatre lighting professionals for two venues: The Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C. and Gunston Hall. At Gunston Hall, I navigated scaffolding to secure the panels with theatre rope and reaching slightly beyond my comfort zone.
I spent time observing the dancers during practice, setting up the scrims, taking notes and using collage. I cut shapes out of paper, and composed a storyboard on the ground while they practiced. Timing was everything. Gina was composing the music while I was designing the animation. It all came together by watching practice video and then assembling my visuals with Gina’s composition in Final Cut Pro. After the first practice with the dancers, I altered my complex animation to be simpler. Large simple shapes provided drama in the theatre. Simple moving shapes, accentuated by a black screen was fitting to showcase the dancers and their more complex movements. It needed to all work together, the sound, the dance, the visuals all supporting the dancer. At times, opportunities for emphasis came with the absence of animation movement and the introduction of other theatre light highlighting dance movement.
