Lighting
As Jenny Hynes would put it, the lighting was “super pretty” for the classical ballet number: blue lighting to soften the stage and accentuate the somber tone of the music, and gold spotlighting on the dancers. The colour choice gave the piece an ethereal and attractive quality. Contrariwise, the Motown lighting changed depending on the mood the dancers were conveying at the moment. It appealed to the base associations we make to those specific colours: red for passion, green for envy, and so on. The tap dance focused on the dancers’ feet, and the lighting helped direct the audience’s attention appropriately. The performance of Rite of Spring used lighting to add depth to the stage and set, fiery orange depicting the glare of the sun, or the heat of an active volcano.
