Lighting in Dance

Jeff Greenberg for Danceworks (2010), produced by the Queens College Department of Drama, Theatre & Dance

I particularly enjoy the use of shadow in this dance lighting. The designer employed some sort of patterned gobo to achieve this look that, to me, seems to be a series of broken windows that cast long shadows across the stage. The cyc gradates from a light, pale blue to a deep, saturated blue-violet. The lights across the stage appear more white in color than any of the cyc lights. There also seems to be multiple smaller lights at the bottom of the cyc, potentially lighting it from behind.

Matt Miller for Through the Fracture of Light (2016), produced by the Yin Yue Dance Company

This lighting blows my mind because the space created by the lighting design looks as if the performers are dancing in a void. The lights used are hard and focused with incredible precision because no light bleeds outside of the designated space. The dancers are lit well, so I think that the designer used front and side lights for the dancers. The colors chosen for the lights complement the dancers' costumes and add continuity to the overall look of the performance.

Dance Lighting

I thought this lighting was very interesting for dancers because the back lighting solely outlines the dancers' bodies. The viewer can still see  the depth of the dancers based on how large or small the dancers are. With this type of lighting the colors are what changes the mood because you can't see the dancer's faces.

I liked how the dancers are each put into their own boxes using shutters. This type of boxed lighting is interesting to me because you can see the shadow of the dancers on the ground and while they are all on the same stage, they are separated by lighting.

Dance Lighting

It is really nice that they used side lighting for this dance. It makes the dancers seem very long and elegant, as well as creating interesting shadows. The color is also really beautiful in contrast to the bare stage they are performing on. It gives me the mental image of dancing like the flame of a candle.


The use of gobos makes this very mystical and texturally interesting. This dance seems to also use some side light as we can see from the girl in the far right corner. The use of cool colors make it appear as if they may be underwater.

Dance Lighting

In the first photo, the lighting is able to establish a general mood for the scene. I feel like the cool blue light makes it seem like it is a calmer, but possibly mysterious scene. The lighting is also able to  draw the viewer's eye, this is mainly done by the warmer orange light accented the actors on the stage. 

In this photo, I really like how the lighting is able to accomplish a few different things. For one, it draws the viewer's eye to only the locations that are being lit by the spotlights. When the lighting is primarily done via spotlighting, I feel as though it is a way to emphasize certain aspects of a moment (e.g. ending a scene with spotlights, then fading to black). I also think that lack of lighting is an interesting way to provoke certain emotions from the viewer.  

Dance Lighting

I really like how the more intense lights appear to be coming from the sides rather than the front. I think this helps create more shadows on the dancers' bodies and to make them appear more defined. I also like that there is a mix of light intensity. It definitely helps in making the dancers' movements look more dramatic.

In this photo, I like how the light almost reflects of the costumes of the dancers. The skirts all look purple, but it's possible that they could be white. The mix of the cool and warm colors is interesting too because I think it helps create different shadows and different combinations of the lights. The lights are not creating harsh shadows, which I think goes along with the graceful movement shown.

In this image, the dancers are incredibly angular in their movements. Their arms, legs, and bodies all form angles and lines, all very sharp and pronounced. The lighting very clearly matches this--the spotlights are shaped to squares, each one individually lighting the dancer. The shadows are also very angular, and there are not other sources of light on the stage.

This dance lighting puts all emphasis on the dancer's body. Instead of lighting any part of the dancer, everyone on stage is cast in shadow, creating full silhouettes. The only light on stage is some colored cyc lights, resembling a sunset. This brings attention to every movement of the body, making the dancer stand out.

Dance Lighting

I thought this photo was really interesting because the dancers' features cannot be seen by the audience. I think this allows for the audience to focus more on the movement and the bodies of the dancers. The blue background or blue light does give some color, so the dancers can be seen. I think it also gives the audience a feeling of suspense, if the dancers are only silhouettes for a short period.
I think the lighting plays a big part in this dance. The man appears to be going to away from everyone, but they do not want him to leave, so they try to keep him there. I think the way it is so dark and the dancers are wearing black helps the audience focus on the limbs and movement of the dancers. The way the light shines on the people holding the man back allows the audience to focus on them and body parts they are holding. This then allows them to see how the man being held moves while being held.

Dancing + Lighting = Art

This photo comes from the Sydney Dance Company Website. It looks like each dancer has their own spotlight, so I love how they make a full line. Also, using a light from above creates a more dramatic photo compared to front lighting.

This photo comes from an online news story from the Miami Herald. This photo also uses lights placed right above the dancers. The square it creates on the floor visually isolates them on stage. I also like how the light shows up more on the dancers behind the one in the front, so it looks like a visual illusion.