Strictly Come Dancing Steps Forward with Vari-Lite's VL1100

	The VL1100 LED's extra output, combined with removing the vulnerability of the traditional bulb, made this new fixture an obvious choice. Photo: Guy Levy

The new season of Strictly Come Dancing, the multi-award-winning celebrity dance show, kicked off in September with a new performer, the VL1100 LED from Vari-Lite, a Signify entertainment lighting brand. David Bishop, in his new role as the show's lighting designer, sees the introduction of the VL1100 LED as a significant improvement for the Strictly lighting rig.

"I chose the VL1100 LED as an upgrade to a fixture we already knew worked well in our show environment," says Bishop. "The original VL1000 had served the program well for many years, but the VL1100 LED's extra output, combined with removing the vulnerability of the traditional bulb, made this new fixture an obvious choice."

The reliability of the LED source, combined with the VL1100 LED's framing capability, high output, and consistent color temperature, help Bishop to maintain the quality of image that viewers expect. "While Strictly is a dance show, it's also a celebrity show, and our viewers expect to see their favorite stars looking as they do on the pages of magazines. Well-controlled keylight, at the correct angle for each shot, is very important."

Bishop is using 25 VL1100 LED fixtures in his design, providing a mixture of front-light and cross-light. As the season continues, they have more than justified his faith in the brand. "It's everything I hoped for," he says. "The output is much greater than the VL1000 ever delivered, and you'd never know the source wasn't a tungsten bulb."

The 17th season of Strictly Come Dancing runs until the grand final on December 14.