query on dance terminology

[TeeJay]

Received a phone call today for something called a 'spotting cross'

 

Now I presuming that what is meant is a spotting light and we spent a few minutes discussing various types. Both of us agreed that this was what was required.

 

But I am wondering if anyone has come across this term before?

[andy_s]

I've come across this occasionally - what you get is like an exit sign but with a red cross instead of a "running man".

 

another way of aiding dancer orientation is to mark the front of the stage with the half and the quarters - more or less self explanatory - an easily visible mark on the centre, then marks bisecting the distance from centre to pros, to help with turns / spins and spacing. The marks need to be big enough to see with your peripheral vision....

[TeeJay]

I've come across this occasionally - what you get is like an exit sign but with a red cross instead of a "running man".

 

another way of aiding dancer orientation is to mark the front of the stage with the half and the quarters - more or less self explanatory - an easily visible mark on the centre, then marks bisecting the distance from centre to pros, to help with turns / spins and spacing. The marks need to be big enough to see with your peripheral vision....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The 'landing lights' we use quite regularly, usually LEDs spread out evenly along the stage edge. I've seen all sorts of different boxes to acheive this, mostly home-grown, but always with a red LED in centre and even spacings of one of more other colours. As an example we use 5 small black boxes (think the size of bicycle lights) with a single LED, red in centre then green at either dance floor edge and also at the quarter mark on each side.

 

The actual spotting cross is a new one though.

 

Cheers :(

[andy_s]

I've come across this occasionally - what you get is like an exit sign but with a red cross instead of a "running man".

 

another way of aiding dancer orientation is to mark the front of the stage with the half and the quarters - more or less self explanatory - an easily visible mark on the centre, then marks bisecting the distance from centre to pros, to help with turns / spins and spacing. The marks need to be big enough to see with your peripheral vision....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The 'landing lights' we use quite regularly, usually LEDs spread out evenly along the stage edge. I've seen all sorts of different boxes to acheive this, mostly home-grown, but always with a red LED in centre and even spacings of one of more other colours. As an example we use 5 small black boxes (think the size of bicycle lights) with a single LED, red in centre then green at either dance floor edge and also at the quarter mark on each side.

 

The actual spotting cross is a new one though.

 

Cheers :(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

cool - in my days on the dance circuit it was bits of white gaffer, or if we were really big-budget, luminous tape....

[gareth]

Another summary of a lost post .....

 

A spotting cross (a.k.a. spotting box) is a small lightbox, with two thin lines (gelled red) in a cross formastion in the front, which is hung dead centre of the auditorium, either at the back of the house or on the circle front (basically, as close to the dancers' eyeline as possible). It's to help them get their orientation when they're turning and spinning.

[Grahame]

I've been in a few theatres where they have a spotting cross, but this seems to be an older style thing, usually a converted biscuit tin. Nowadays most places use a red birdie or even the infra-red par lamp for their IR camera! It's become quite rare to see a cross; and the only reason I can think of for having a cross is if there are other light sources in the auditorium that could be confused for the spotting light.

[Darkfold]

We use orange fluro tape on the stage near the front for our markers. Easy to apply and reasonably cheap.

[gareth]

We use orange fluro tape on the stage near the front for our markers. Easy to apply and reasonably cheap.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You're talking about quarter marks - the OP was asking about spotting crosses. Different things. When you've got a dancer doing turns downstage, looking out into the house, he/she simply isn't going to see any of the quarter marks, so they need a point of reference that they can see.

[Darkfold]

I've never understood the whole dance thing :)

 

Gareth you are most certainly correct and I most graciously admit it . (our stage is modular, there be bloody gert big lines going the whole way down it and all the lines are evenly spaced etc, never need much more than tape to show which joint is the middle)

[gareth]

I suppose you're right tho.

How very gracious of you to admit that. :)