kayshier

Is it something that you as dancers consider when producing a show?
how elaborate would you say it is usually.

In observing a lot of performance videos, I realise that in most cases there is a minimalist approach to the set design, with little or no sort of background decor.

I am wondering if it is a budgetary consideration or just something that is not taken into consideration at all. it irks me (well not irks but it is a bit off putting) that there is an emphasis on pretty costumes, yet the costume is not placed in a context that might well create a complete 'costume' that being the movement in an appropriate space.
sometimes i know mimimalism might work for some effect especially if the aim is to have the focus on the dancer..but i digress.

If one had the choice of creating a backdrop for a show they were putting on, what would be the images that you would want to use?..(besides the cliched, pyramids, desert sands, camels etc etc leaning toward orientalism)

Aisha Azar

Dear Kay shier,
After a few years of creating elaborate sets, many people begin to realize that the dancer disappears in them. This certainly happened with the first two dance companies I performed with. We had very beautiful backdrops and props around, etc..... and we finally began to see that the dance did not show up so very well against all the stuff on stage. so, now my company keeps the stage fairly bare of anything other than the best lighting we can afford for he location we are dancing in. Another thing that I have done personally is to use other dancers as stage sets when there is a need to say something other than to just make the statement with the dance. These days my choice of backdrop is a great group of human Do-woppers. In our next performance We all take our turns being wallpaper!!
Regards,
A'isha

Mya

I personally prefer the simple backgrounds to elaborate sets - this is just my personal preference because i find all of these things to be distracting and theatrical while i enjoy simple down to earth dancing that doesn't need all of that to be beautiful. I guess for me the beauty is in the dance and the humanness of the dance and the expression rather than in needing someone to create an image of a faraway place to appeal to my imagination and send me off on some fantasy. A'isha's people-sets i think would work well enough for me in those cases where they want to create a context but otherwise i'm happiest without it.

nitewindz

Budget and logistics are our biggest constraints.

First, sets and "stuff" cost money. Between all the troupe members we've assembled a collection of suitable "stuff" - rugs, drums, tons of veils, and a couple of battered fake palms. And that's about all our budget allows.

Then, there's logistics. It's hard enough to lug costumes, sound systems, props, etc... adding elaborate stage sets to the mix is out of the question. Plus, many of our venues are NOT theaters; we dance outdoors at art shows and festivals, at nursing homes, at people's parties. Even if we did have "stuff" and a way to set it all up and tear it all down, most of the time we couldn't do that anyway.

The best we can do is drape a few veils or roll out a rug, set up a couple of drums and fake palms, maybe a fog machine, incense or tiki torches. When we're outside these simple items help define the stage area. Sometimes we can set up a canopy and drape sheets and saris like the inside of a tent.

If I were producing a show, and had money and crew, I'd create something like the inside of a tent, with a few items, like large cushions and drums or urns with veils framing the stage. But I wouldn't go overboard with fake pyramids, stuffed camels, foam "sand dunes" or 10 ft tall palm trees. I would use fans and fog machines, just cuz I like fog machines.