I do think we need for our events, and it sounds like the OP wants light too. I have found that more often than not, lighting is too dark at haflas I have attended (unless they were daytime with bright sunlight streaming into the community center). For me, this is a student level type of Hafla, so have theatrical lighting would be overkill.

So, does anyone have some solutions for those of use who wish to use lights, but have to make the solutions portable? Something besides renting theatrical lights for every performance? Would a photographers lights positions on each side of the stage, and on center stage (on the ground) be enough? and would I use white lights, or colored lights?

I heartily agree with Brad and also Nomad here.

I have seen many stage lighting setups for belly dance, and very few of high quality. I have learned how to pluck gems out of rough lighting, which is unfortunately rather routine. I also would like to applaud the efforts of Brad and other SF/BA photographers I know who have been working to provide belly dance producers with more knowledge and general awareness about about stage lighting.

Yellow gels are at live shows are uniformly terrible, in my opinion. At an Ansuya gig once, I was able to successfully tune out most of this misapplied light in-camera, but really every belly dancer appeared jaundiced as they danced, it was quite unflattering.

Blessings and Light,
M

Actually, I've found that certain yellowish toned lights do look good on my skin tone. Perhaps because I'm half Asian?

The issue with footlights is that they point up and can create unflattering shadows. The effect can certainly work to dramatic effect (such as Unmata's debut of the pony piece at last year's Nouveau Nights www.taboomedia.smugmug.com/gall...P-7-9 ) but many find the resulting pig noses, rounded cheeks, darkened eyes undesirable. And rounder bellies are also very accented by floor positions.

Perhaps a better budget alternative might be a photo kit such as the $129 Smith Victor KT1000 ( www.adorama.com/SVKT1000U.html ), which includes two 500-watt bulbs, pro lamps with 12-inch reflectors, and two 8-foot stands that can be set up to flank the stage. (It also includes photo umbrellas, but you wouldn't want to use those on stage due to light loss). This should serve you for stages 10-12 feet wide but the dark spot in the middle of the stage would get pretty bad if you went much further. A solution to that might be shelling out $40 more for the three-light KT1500 ( www.adorama.com/SVKT1500U.html ) and setting the third instrument overhead mid-stage (preferable, if an option) or mid-stage on the floor, if needed. Bulbs are less than $5 a pop.

Defintely avoid chintzy DJ lighting set-ups. They are intended as decoration, not to provide area lighting.

Finally, you'll want to invest in professional theatrical gels (which shouldn't catch fire next to 500-watt bulbs, unless you leave them running overnight). Naked bulbs make for ugly light. For more neutral set-ups, go with pale blue on one side of the stage and pale pink on the other side (and use a pale straw color for the middle, if you're doing the three light set up). If you are going the three-light route, consider more dramatic set ups using intense warm and cool colors for the flanking lights ( www.taboomedia.smugmug.com/gall...38144 ) but avoid gels that are so dark that you lose too much light. If, for some reason, you are compelled to use yellow or red lights, please use them with another color and not by themselves ( www.taboomedia.smugmug.com/gall...38117 ).

Hey Red,

"They ended up getting work-lights.. you know, the kind that sit on poles, two-up, for working late at night, one set flanking each side of the stage pointed towards the center. Guess what.. it worked WONDERS in helping out. Nothing theatrical -- no colors -- but it cast some neat shadows on the walls, and most importantly people could see the dancers!"

This situation is so common (in the cases where folks can be convinced to provide any sort of illumination) that I've actually taken to traveling with rolls of cool and warm theatrical gels in the trunk of my car (along with a roll of gaffers tape, a utility knife, and a crescent wrench). This little kit has seen action at both small and big-name events since and has paid off in better images (and better shows for audiences) many times over. I'm a little sad that it comes to this, but I'm much happier when I see the results.

Post photos to this tribe's gallery so we can see the process better, OK?