LIGHTING

BIRDSONG:

The sections of Bird Song present distinct, contrasting environments, not only in terms of movement and music, but also in terms of light and colour. From the beginning, it was decided to use video projection as a light source: by suspending the projector above the stage, it would light the floor from above. Rather than projecting images as if using the floor as a cinema screen, artist David Ward and production designer Sam Collins filmed real lighting (shadows through a window, for example, or trails left by moving torches) and manipulated these on a computer to produce abstract shapes and patterns. These retain the shading and graininess of real lighting, in contrast to the more geometrical, mathematical precision of computer-generated images.

One result of the overhead projection was that it tended to shadow the dancers’ faces and obscure their outlines. To offset this, lighting designer Adrian Plaut used lights set above the audience to illuminate the stage from the sides, blending the colours and washes so that the side lighting is effectively indistinguishable from the vertical projected lighting.

DESCRIPTION: Section 4a (SNAKE 1)

Projection/lighting

A pinboard of pulsing dots. Although not readily visible, the dots are in fact a visual grid placed over a film of birds in flight. It is this underlying film that produces the flickering in the dots.

DESCRIPTION: Section 1a (Gill Clarke Solo)

Projection/lighting

A strip of light sweeps from one side of the stage to the other like a scanner line, wiping away the shadow in front of it, and pulling a wash of intense yellow behind, like a sunrise.

CONTRIBTION OF THE LIGHTING TO THE MEANING OF THE DANCE WORK/ EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LIGHTING:

  • Each section has a distinctive, separatelighting design which clearly separates the sections and helps the audience follow the structure of the dance work.
  • Each section changes when the lighting changes, linking the choreography to the lighting design closely.
  • Opening ‘Infinite Monkeys’ :A spot of light opens the piece like a search light leading the dancers on stage.
  • Second section ‘Four Corners’: Thin lines of white light divide the stage into four square shaped locations, each house a different type of choreography. The quadrants restrict the movement of the dancers.
  • Third section ‘Diagonal’: Light projection produces a series of diagonal stripes which emphasis the linear design and emphasizes a diagonal axis in the choreography that seems to exert a magnetic pull on the dancers.
  • Sixth section ‘Gill Clarke Solo’: This structure replicates the choreographic idea, of a continuous underlying arc of movement being split into discrete units.

LIGHTING

NUTCRACKER!

  • Lighting and colour play a significant role in expressing the different worlds, indicating a change of world between the first scene (ACT1) and the other scenes.
  • The black and white design of the Orphanage scene in the first Act is enhanced by the stark lighting used with no colour and only white lighting which also casts shadows, used. This reinforces the bare and stark condition of the orphanage and the dull and lifeless mood and atmosphere.
  • The production is performed in proscenium arch theatres and so the lighting used are from overhead bars which allow for a wash of colour on the stage. Spots are also used to follow main characters and so that characters faces are not shadowed by other dancers.
  • The lighting is used to indicate the time of day by dimming and adding blue tones when the children in the Orphanage go to bed and also to indicate weather conditions when Nutcracker firsts bursts from the clock cabinet and there is ‘lightning’ flashing at the window and again when the wall cracks completely open. This helps the audience follow the storyline and indicates key moments in the narrative.
  • Spots and shadows are used to particular effect when Nutcracker doll transforms into the human character. The lighting sets a much more magical and romantic feel to this part and only changes after the set has moved into the Frozen lake dreamland setting.
  • The lighting here is bright white, not soft as one might expect to signify a dreamland but more a happy awakening to this alternative reality – Clara’s escape from her droll life at the Orphanage and perhaps are ‘awakening’ romantically as a young woman falling in love.
  • Lighting changes are also seen in the next scene ‘The Road to Sweetieland’ which introduces the Sweetie characters. The lighting here reflects the personality of the sweets in particular the ‘Knickerbockerglory’ when the lights dim to a darker blue and a star projection is used onto the stage floor.
  • In the Sweetielandscene the light changes in contrast to the Opening Orphanage scene and uses bright colourful pinks to represent this dream land.

COSTUME

BIRDSONG:

  • The costumes needed to be versatile enough to be seen in many lighting states.
  • Costume designer Genevieve Bennett used mostly neutral grey/blue colours that could adapt to different lighting
  • added features of bright neon colours and dipped edges to the trousers and tunics to help the dancers stand out.
  • Each dancer has an individual costume: although similar each costume is different adding to the individual nature of the movement and improvisation through the piece.
  • The costumes are easy moving, made from soft versatile fabric, and comfy allowing for ease of movement.
  • The costumes do not signify a particular era, age or social context.

NUTCRACKER!:

  • From the grey smocks and shorts of the orphanage to the all-white ice-skating attire, the costumes enhance every moment of the story.
  • In Sweetieland the costumes are extremely important as this informs the audience of what sweetie each dancer represent e.g.:Humbug bouncer: • The shape of the costume is in the shape of a humbug sweet • The material is black and white striped like a humbug.
  • The ice skating scene all the costumes are white (except for Princess Sugar) linking to the theme of the scene and the colour theme of the lighting and design.
  • Princess Sugar is dressed in pink – perhaps to make her character more significant to the audience’s attention her as in this scene she ‘steals’ Nutcracker from Clara which is an important event in the storyline.
  • The Ice-skating costumes are of late Victorian design linking to the era of the Premiere of the original Nutcracker Ballet (1892).
  • The ice skating costumes look expensive – in contrast to the drab and simple smocks Clara wears at the Orphanage she dreams of things where money is not scarce and luxury is open to her.

SET DESIGN

BIRDSONG:

There is little ‘set’ in BirdSong to describe or talk about in comparison to other works but some points can be made.

  • The performance area is set by a large rectangular dance floor of pale grey colour. The flooring needs to be pale to allow for the lighting effects to be seen clearly when projected onto it.
  • There are audience seated on all four sides of the rectangular performance area giving the dancers and the dance material no ‘front’ to perform to. This will have directly affected ll choreography and means that depending on where you are sat, you will get a completely different experience as an audience member.
  • In some versions there is a cyclorama (a curved sheet whi8ch continues from the floor up the bac of the performance space) at the back of the performance area allowing for the projected images to continue up the back of the performance space, making the lighting design even more prominent and integrated in the dance piece.

NUTCRACKER:

The designer, Anthony Ward worked with Matthew Bourne to create two contrasting worlds. The first world is Christmas Eve in an Orphanage and the second world is one of dreams and fantasy.The production opens in a dilapidated Orphanage, it is a large grey room with an imposing clock that watches every move that the orphans make. It is unwelcoming with cracking plaster on every wall. The misshapen furniture looms over the orphans as they dance and clean the nooks and crannies. When the Nutcracker comes to life the room starts to crack, the walls begin to split open, and the Christmas tree from the earlier celebration grows to an enormous height. The orphans then escape through the cracks to another world. The next world we enter is a magical frozen lake where the Snowflakes scene from the traditional Nutcracker becomes an ice-skating extravaganza. From here Act Two opens in Sweetieland, where the backdrop is now a glitter-lipped mouth, providing the entrance to Sweetieland itself. The highlight of Act Two is the wedding cake upon which all the characters dance and eat, slurp and lick the cake whilst dancing upon and around each of the three-tiers. It is an entirely fantastical set and one that conjures up images of candy-canes and Christmas sugar delights.

  • The set is a highly designed ‘traditional’ set using flats and cloths and large pieces of set design to create the different worlds within Nutcracker!.
  • The set helps establish the social-economic context of the Orphange in the first scene (poor, stark, not well looked after, bleak etc)
  • The set breaks apart when Nutcracker transforms into the human character symbolising Clara breaking free from the nightmare of the Orphanage into her dream world.
  • The colours used in each scene clearly signify the setting. Design is the main element which differentiates between the worlds.
  • The large feather and oversized pillow allow the audience to identify that this is a dream like world.