The bandeau style top

[Greek Bonfire]

I never knew that about green at all. And yes, yellow is one of those iffy colors that not everyone can wear; however, the kind of yellow for me has to have a little blue mixed in to be more like a buttercup, but I usually avoid it altogether.

Anyone who grew up Catholic knows that at one time, red was frowned upon, and if you wore red on Fridays, you were the worst sort of woman <lol>

 

[Shanazel]

Anyone who grew up Catholic knows that at one time, red was frowned upon, and if you wore red on Fridays, you were the worst sort of woman.

I had no idea. Red wasn't my color, though, so perhaps I never shocked anyone in some of the heavily Catholic areas I lived in.

 

[Tourbeau]

If you can't properly light the color green on stage, shouldn't the production crews of professional shows like "Wicked" and "Riverdance" have noticed this?

Isn't our problem more that somebody's husband volunteered to rent the lights for the hafla, and he's also the sound guy and the MC, not that you can't properly light some colors onstage? Most of our shows have very rudimentary lighting meant to blunderbuss-flatter the maximum number of performers under the maximum number of performing conditions. At least in the shows where I've danced, nobody tells you what color the backdrop is so you won't turn up in the same color costume, or backlights the stage for depth, or asks what gel you want during your number, or rehearses the spotlight (if there is one) and camera with you so you don't dance into the dark or out of frame. It's more like "The man at the rental place suggested this setup."

And if you're lucky, the camera is manned by someone with a little skill and the ability to pay attention, and not left static on a tripod or doing crazy zooming and panning because somebody's husband is fantasizing about being an auteur. (If you've been around long enough, I know you've encountered that guy, the one who edited the VHS tape of the hafla that used every wipe in the transition toolbox...especially the star wipe.)

 

[Shanazel]

Tourbeau hits my pet video peeve: fancy camera work that annihilates one's ability to watch the dancer dance. Just set up the damn camera, make sure it is focused, then leave it alone.

 

[Ariadne]

It can also be a limitation of the location. I don't know about now but it used to be that the cheaper places didn't have adjustable lighting, all they had was these bright yellowish spotlights that illuminated the entire stage. I think, don't quote me on this, but I think the 'basic' lights we have now are much better.

When it comes to adjustable lighting, well then it's a matter of competence and whether or not whoever is manning them knows or cares.

 

[Zorba]

Tourbeau hits my pet video peeve: fancy camera work that annihilates one's ability to watch the dancer dance. Just set up the damn camera, make sure it is focused, then leave it alone.

Yep - bitching about video is endemic in our community, and with good reason! I prefer a static camera that covers the entire stage or at least most of it. That way there's little possibility of screwups. I remember at Rakkasah one year, the video was so bad that the dancers all got our money back. It was yet another "Mr. pan-and-zoom" who, on my vid, cut my hands off when they went overhead at the climatic point of the dance. It was the point of the entire fracking dance, and he was in too close.

Then there's the ever popular hip and/or cleavage cam, foot cam, stomach cam, even face cam. I want to see the damn dancer!

As for lighting, I'm still in "conversations" here in my part of Florida as to what's at least acceptable, and what is not. Backlit with red and blue lighting ain't it...

 

[Daimona]

And if you're lucky, the camera is manned by someone with a little skill and the ability to pay attention, and not left static on a tripod or doing crazy zooming and panning because somebody's husband is fantasizing about being an auteur. (If you've been around long enough, I know you've encountered that guy, the one who edited the VHS tape of the hafla that used every wipe in the transition toolbox...especially the star wipe.)

And this is why I always insisted on editing the videos myself and instructed whoever was in charge of the second cam (first cam was always stationary with no zoom) to always show at least half the body, preferably the whole dancer, and not zooming into the belly or other body parts.