Dance Production: Excerpt From Jeromy Hopgood's New Book

It’s been a busy few years for me. In 2013, I released my first book, QLab 3 Show Control, through Focal Press. In the subsequent two years, I have taught a series of master classes on the software and penned a second book on a subject near to my heart: dance production.

Dance Production: Design & Technology by Focal Press (Routledge) is the first book of its kind to be released in decades. The goal of the text is to bridge the gap between the two groups who come together to create dance productions: dance artists and designers/technicians. As a longtime dance designer, I come from a theatre background, and thus, approach the text as a dialogue for artists of all stripes to learn more about the methods and practices common to their fellow collaborators.

The goal is to create stronger, more effective collaborations by better understanding the language and process of other artists. The book comprises three sections: “Thinking Ahead,” “Production Areas,” and “Quick Reference.” Part I covers essentials like collaboration models, preproduction planning, and understanding performance spaces. Part II is broken down into all of the production roles common to dance: lighting, sound, scenery and props, costumes, projections/media, and stage management. Each production area has two chapters devoted to them, the first being a primer to the design area and the second chapter covering the process of creating that design. Part III is a quick reference section featuring a chapter on dance terminology and one on theatre/stagecraft terms.

Overall, the tone of the book is open and approachable, inviting the reader to examine the ways in which creating a dance production differs from other forms of live entertainment. One of the strengths of the book is its inclusion of hundreds of full-color illustrations and stunning dance production photos. I have assembled a collection of photos from some of the top dance companies and artists around the world (Merce Cunningham, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King LINES ballet, etc.) and included a wide variety of design examples running the gamut from academic productions to multi-million dollar productions at La Scala. In addition, the book includes dozens of interviews from professionals in the industry. These function as case studies that illuminate the collaborative process for choreographers, production managers, designers, and stage management alike.

Similar to my first text, this book also features an extensive companion website with handouts, instructional videos, bonus chapters, and additional projects. It’s something of a rarity these days to find a crossover book like this intended for multiple markets, but the text manages to find a fit on both designers’ and dancers’ bookshelves alike. Dance Production is an invitation for artists from all walks of life to learn a bit more about the other side of the fence. Campbell Baird (NYU-Tisch) put it best in his interview, “Learn what dancers do; watch them practice. Learn to admire their incredible devotion to an art form that at best can give them only 15 to 20 years of a performing career. Every day they start over in class, take corrections, and try to improve. And then, when they get on stage, you will appreciate why your work can be so very important to them.”

Dance Production: Design & Technology can be purchased online, and I will be signing copies of my books at USITT in Salt Lake City this March.

The following is an excerpt from Dance Production: Design & Technology by Jeromy Hopgood. © 2016 Taylor and Francis

Chapter Twelve: Projections and Video

12.3 – Functions of Dance Projection Design (What Projection Design Can Accomplish)

Projection design can be used to accomplish many different outcomes in a dance production. It is important for the projection designer and choreographer to both understand the goals for the projection design and how to go about accomplishing them.

Listed below are six functions of dance projection design that explain how projections can serve the dance.

Creating A Dynamic Environment

Ambient texture background: An ambient video background, utilizing amorphous starbursts, pulsating lights, and numeric sequences: Dead Man’s Cell Phone at Eastern Michigan University, with scenic design by John Charles, lighting design by Emily Clarkson, and projection design by Jeromy Hopgood. Photo by Jeromy Hopgood.

This function refers to the use of projections to create a scenic environment for the dance. Projections are, by their very nature, ephemeral. The imagery projected on stage has the potential to be constantly changing. This leads to a dynamic sense of movement on the part of the projection design, something that very naturally works in the context of dance.

Some might be tempted to refer to this as virtual scenery, but that is only one component of the dynamic environment. While projected scenery is certainly one possibility, the interesting thing about projection is how it marries together both scenery and lighting. In addition to virtual scenery, projections could be used to create ambient textures as a background, something popularized in concert touring and club environments for some time now.

Interacting With Dancer(s)

This interactive projection design utilizes bio-sensors and motion tracking to capture the movements of the dancer and create an interactive pairing between the dancer and projections. Photo by João Biera.

Potential for interactivity is an important element of projection design. Typically, there are two basic approaches to projections design content: linear and interactive. Linear content is imagery that will always be presented in the same fashion for each performance without the potential for change. This is common in many theatrical, cue-based environments where it is desirable to reproduce similar results for each performance. Interactive content is created with the intent of featuring media with which the performer interacts and changes in response to the performer’s actions. This type of interactivity has become ubiquitous in projection design with the proliferation of motion-capture technology. As computer technology has advanced, giving the public access to multiple forms of motion capture and movement sensitive devices, projection designers have integrated this into their toolkits to expand the possibilities of interactive projection.

One common use of interactivity is the projection of virtual costumes onto dancers. Through the use of motion sensors built into the costumes or by the 3D, depth-sensing capabilities of hardware like Microsoft’s Kinect™ sensor, projection designers are now able to interpret the movements and positioning of a dancer’s body and map projections in realtime onto the dancer’s body on stage.

Another possibility is allowing the dancer to change his environment through interaction, triggering changes in the projection design, appearing to move projected elements, or many other possible interactions. In this way, the projection design almost functions as another performer, allowing the dancer to “partner” with the projections and add another level to the choreographed movement of visual elements on the stage.

Presenting/Representing the Dancer(s)

These images illustrate the use of projection to create a graphic representation of the dancer. Photo by João Biera.

 

One function of projection design that dance frequently utilizes is the presentation of the dancer as a projection element. Whether this is in the form of a prerecorded video of the dancer, or a realtime video capture, both options serve to capture the movements of the dancer and present them in a magnified format via projections.

Another possibility that has emerged more recently is the representation of the dancer through projection design. There are a number of ways that this can occur. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, motion capture software has made it possible to analyze the movements of a figure in realtime. By using simulation software, the dancer’s movement can be captured and applied to the form of an avatar (a graphic representation of the dancer) projected in realtime. This representation of the dancer can mimic the movements in a completely different physical form. In addition, projection could be used as a more abstract representation of the dancer’s movement, mood, or character through the use of changing colors, textures, or forms.

Projection as reinforcement: A projection design for ballet utilizing rear-projected imagery as a kinetic backdrop. Opera (2013) at La Scala Ballet, Milano, with choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, projection design by Wendall K. Harrington, costumes by Colleen Atwood, and lighting design by Mark Stanley. Photo by Wendall K. Harrington.

 

Visual Reinforcement

Like some of the other design areas mentioned earlier, projection design is useful in reinforcing elements seen on stage. Projections can reinforce the storytelling of the dance, thematic elements, or support other production elements such as scenery, sound, or costumes. In addition, one of projection’s greatest strengths in reinforcement is the fact that it is a kinetic element itself, which makes it a natural choice to reinforce movement within the dance. If projections are moving in conjunction with or in counterpoint to the type of movement that occurs on stage, it can help draw attention to the movement of the dance.

Finally, visual imagery has the ability to evoke emotional responses in the viewer in a way that can truly accentuate mood on stage. Projections, when used in conjunction with the visual storytelling of the dancers, can help communicate a tone or emotion in a given moment.

Stage Magic/Special Effects

Special effects: Dr. Faustus being pulled into the flames of Hell by a pack of demons in Dr. Faustus at Eastern Michigan University, with scenic design by Jeromy Hopgood, lighting design by John Charles, projection design by David Koltunchik, and costumes by Melanie Schuessler. Photo by Jeromy Hopgood.

 

Projection design can function as a tool for the creation of special effects or magical moments for the stage. Projection could be used for creating a visual of explosions, magical appearances, flight, underwater acrobatics, or more. Typically special effects are best accomplished in projections when combined with another production element. For example, the spectacle of flight might be best accomplished by flying a dancer, while the projections track the movement of the dancer around the stage.

Creating A Commentary

Projections can be used to comment on certain elements presented on stage. This can be done in a number of different ways. Quite often imagery can be used to draw comparisons and point out similarities or differences between actions being seen on stage and a concept with which the audience might already be familiar. An example of this might be a dance piece that features a dancer in obvious emotional/psychological duress on stage juxtaposed with a projected image of her idealized self: well dressed, smiling, and as she would want the world to see her. This form of commentary obviously is used to illustrate two opposite realities.

Projection as commentary: This image showcases the use of projection to comment on the action of a scene. Urinetown: The Musical at Eastern Michigan University, with scenic design by John Charles, lighting and projection design by Jeromy Hopgood, and costumes by Melanie Schuessler. Photo by Randy Mascharka, Eastern Michigan University.

Another common use of projections as commentary is the integration of text into the projection design. Words or commonly understood visual symbols (such as a stop sign or skull and crossbones signifying poison) could be used to literally comment on the action in the dance. This is a dramatic tool that was pioneered in the theatrical works of Bertolt Brecht, whose style of epic theatre purposefully reminded the audience that they were watching a theatrical performance. As a function of projection design, using projections as a commentary runs the risk of coming off as overly simplistic or pedantic in its approach. While it certainly has its place, one should use it sparingly and with consideration for the tone it can create in a performance.

Jeromy Hopgood

Jeromy Hopgood. Photo by Tyler Calhoun.

 

Jeromy Hopgood is an educator, author, and freelance designer whose home base is in Michigan. As an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University, Hopgood helped create the multidisciplinary program in Entertainment Design & Technology, one of the only undergraduate programs of its kind in the country. He is also an artistic associate for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, where he serves as the resident scenic designer. He is the author of  QLab 3 Show Control and Dance Production: Design and Technology, and teaches master classes around the country on QLab, projection design, and dance production.

For more, download the December issue of Live Design for free onto your iPad or iPhone from the Apple App Store and onto your Android smartphone and tablet from Google Play or read the issue within our interactive PDF edition.