CHICAGO (For Immediate Release) – For over 25 years, Studio One Dance Theatre (SODT) has been an inspirational force in the Windy City, providing not only technical dance training, but empowering young people to unleash their creativity and self-esteem so they can succeed in all aspects of life. Every June, some 400 SODT dancers, who range in age from pre-school to their 20s, put their talents on display in a spectacular theatrical production held at the 1,200-seat Center for Performing Arts at Governors State University. Described as “part musical, part play and part dance performance,” the 3-4-hour show combines an artfully eclectic mix of different styles, from classical ballet to modern dance and jazz – and even hip-hop.
With such great diversity in one production, it's no wonder that Jason Reberski of JR Lighting Design, Inc. (Orland Park, IL), who has designed and programmed the lighting for the SODT show since 2008, found a new star to dance with this year: the Design Spot 1200C DMX moving head from Elation Professional. Capable of functioning as both a spot and wash effect via application of a Variable Frost Filter, the extremely versatile 1,200-watt Design Spot 1200C boasts a multitude of other features, including CMY color mixing with CTO, 2 Gobo Wheels, 2 Rotating Prisms, an Animation Wheel, and a Wireless DMX Receiver -- all in a compact case the size of a typical 700-watt fixture.
Reberski included 7 Design Spot 1200Cs in his moving light rig, which also contained 8 moving heads from another manufacturer that were originally specified for the show. “I replaced some of the original moving heads with the Design Spots when I found they were available from another dealer here in Chicago,” said Reberski. “I had heard and read rave reviews about the Design Spot 1200C that had greatly impressed me. So I decided to take out some of (the other fixtures) and put Design Spots in their place as a trial.
“The show is a mix of elements,” added Reberski. “It's very theatrical at times, and at other times it's very flashy and kind of “in your face”. The thought was to use a fixture that could handle all of that.
About a week's worth of preparation goes into setting up the production, then four performances are given over the course of a weekend. How did the Design Spot 1200C perform in its Studio One Dance Theatre debut?
It actually “out-danced” the competition, reported Reberski. “Four out of eight of the (other manufacturer's) moving heads had major problems, and three of those units had to be replaced on the second day. But the Design Spot 1200Cs were absolutely flawless in performance and capabilities. They were truly my workhorse fixtures. I pushed them very hard for a week and they just kept on performing,” Reberski said. “If I would have had a complete Design Spot 1200C rig, it would have saved many, many headaches in terms of reliability.”
Not only were the Design Spot 1200Cs reliable, they also were excellent to work with from a design standpoint, Reberski said. “Great optics, great gobos, the CMY color mixing is perfect . . . I was very impressed that the Design Spots could handle the theatrical cueing with precision and finesse as well as the flashier ‘bumps' and chases.
“Plus it's got more features than many other fixtures in its category, such as Frost, CTO, an Animation Wheel and Wireless DMX. And it's tiny, the size of most 700-watt fixtures, yet it delivers 1,200-watt brightness. When they say ‘1200 Compact,' they mean it! Executive Director Pamela Avery and Production Director Andre Robinson were very pleased with the show's growth over the years, noting that this year's show completely relied on lighting for establishment of mood and location (due to the minimalistic scenic approach). Many of the dynamic, theatrical lighting aspects of the show were made possible by the Design Spot 1200C's vast feature-set and high performance.”
What makes the Design Spot 1200C's long list of features even more impressive, Reberski added, is the fixture's price. “It does everything that other fixtures will do – and more –at an incredible price.”
For more information contact:
Elation Professional at 866-245-6726 or visit www.elationlighting.com
JR Lighting Design at 708-460-6319 or visit www.JRLightingDesign.com