In this webcast as part of ETC's Masters of Live Design series, lighting designer Al Crawford examines his extensive collaboration with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, founded in 1958 by choreographer Alvin Ailey. Crawford has been the lighting director for the company since 1998.
The Masters of Design: Al Crawford webcast is sponsored by ETC
Highlights:
During this webcast, Crawford discusses:
• His lighting history with the company for the past two decades
• How the design informs the storytelling or abstract nature of the dances
• The choice of lighting fixtures and their use, plus a look at selected light plots.
Register today to watch free webcast now!
Moderator: Ellen Lampert-Gréaux – Creative Director, Live Design & LDI
Presenter: Al Crawford, Lighting Designer and CEO of Arc3design
Al Crawford has been the lighting director of the world renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 1998. Now in his 20th season with the famed dance company, he has produced the lighting for Ailey in virtually every major theater, performing arts center, and opera house on the planet having toured to 48 states and over 60 countries including historically significant performances in Russia, China, and South Africa.
Al has had the opportunity to work directly with many important choreographers in the dance world including Judith Jamison, Robert Battle, Garth Fagan, Matthew Rushing, Ron Brown, George Faison, Mark Dendy, Trey McIntyre, Christopher Huggins, Hope Boykin, Osnel Delgado, Jeanguy Saintus, and many others. He has designed 18 new works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and 12 for Ailey II. Additionally, he has been responsible for maintaining the lighting for the significant Ailey repertory designed by many of the top lighting designers in the industry.
A huge believer in cross genre design, Al founded Arc3design, a lighting design group dedicated to merging his theatrical aesthetic into all areas of art, architecture, dance, live music, theater, broadcast, and live event production. Arc3design employees a team of talented designers and technical artists that support the creation and implementation of new projects worldwide.
Arc3design creates the lighting for over 100 projects annually. Recent and current projects include architectural installations at New York Central Synagogue, new ballets for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Haiti’s Ayikodans and Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company, multiple State Dinners for The White House, Cedar Point's multimillion dollar light show Luminosity, a variety of shows for Holland America Cruise Lines, Madison Square Garden Sports Entertainment, and brand events for Spotify, Google, Samsung, Intel, Dom Perignon, and Lamborghini.
Al is a guest faculty member of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and was recently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts. He also serves as a selection committee member of the Gilbert Hemsley Lighting Internship Programs at Lincoln Center. He has had the opportunity to speak to students at universities around the country, at the United States Institute for Theater Technology Conference (USITT), Live Design International (LDI) and the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas. Al was recently a keynote speaker at the Electronic Theater Controls CUE conference in Madison, WI.
Al is a member of United Scenic Artists (USA-829) and the International Alliance for Theatrical Stage Employees (Local 635). He is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.