Robe’s news team met the Larssons at a special 10th anniversary edition of Let’s Dance in Sweden, where they were busy in Magazin (warehouse) 7 at the Frihamnen container port and ferry terminal in Stockholm, a frenetic site specific location that has provided a gritty and visceral juxtaposition to the glamour and glitter of the hit ballroom dancing TV series.
Maverick LD Pelle Larson’s lighting design included 24 x Robe Pointe moving lights installed in prominent positions around the dancefloor and amidst the orchestra.
Pelle is a well-known and respected industry figure in Sweden and in addition to a host of top LE TV shows, including Let’s Dance for national channel STV4 since the series began and many other TV productions, he has also been active as a touring and concert designer.
He likes to keep the business of his company, LD Sweden, literally ‘in the family’ after an impressive 38 years at the sharp-end of the industry, and in the process is also actively training a next generation of successful industry professionals!
Daughter Kim – the eldest sibling – first learnt the basics of operating a lighting console aged 2 and was the Hippotizer programmer and operator for both the Let’s Dance series and the tenth anniversary edition, with youngest son Rasmus operating the generic lights and calling the follow spots.
Meanwhile, while they were all busy with Let’s Dance, Pelle’s oldest son Robin was overseeing lighting for a new format of antiques quiz show, Gladiators for TV4 which was being recorded elsewhere, and is another programme featuring Team Larsson. Also working for LD Sweden is Daniel de Sivo.
This tenth series of Let’s Dance, followed by the 10th anniversary ‘special’ – for which Pelle had complete creative freedom to light the show as he wished – was the first year the design has featured LD Sweden’s newly purchased Pointes, an investment made after using rented Pointes to great effect on the show in 2014.
They are the main effects lights of the show and “Allow me to add fantastic layers of fun, movement and colour,” he explained. He’s also used them on several other shows.
He wanted an effects fixture that was small, bright, light and properly ‘multi-functional’, and thought the Pointe’s zoom, prisms and gobos were all excellent.
Having used Robe products constantly in his work over the last 7 or so years, he knew it would be a solid investment.
With 14 dances to programme each week in a very short timeframe – three hours on the morning of the live show – they had to work exceedingly fast and have dynamic and flexible equipment right there at their fingertips – so Pointes are perfect!
There’s approximately 15 minutes of lighting and video programming time per number, so the family’s harmonious teamwork is also a big advantage, with Pelle, Rasmus and Kim on the video all working seamlessly together.
Having the Pointes in such a prominent position on camera and in all the shots allowed Pelle to change the nature and atmosphere of the next dance piece instantly – from a steamy sensual Tango to a slick American Smooth or a bubblegum-tastic Jive – all with their own specific look – at the touch of a few buttons on the grandMA2 control.
The Pointes also helped bring all that characteristic ballroom glitz to the show which featured a set design by Jan Schedin
He even used the audio input on the Pointe to trigger specific effects on the snare drum for one dance!
Photos: Louise Stickland
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