Peru Amateur Circus Installs Elation System

	Photo: Rebecca Daniels Portraits (www.rdanielleportraits.com, rdanielleportraits@gmail.com)

Held each July in Peru, Indiana, the Peru Amateur Circus is one of the few remaining amateur circuses in the US. The Circus Arena at Circus City Festival, Inc. (CCFI) decided it was time to move beyond its decades-old incandescent lighting system, turning to CSD Group for an upgrade featuring Elation LED lighting and an Obsidian control system.

The project was made possible through the generosity of Robert Cultice, the leadership of CCFI board member Bob Sucharski, the engineering expertise of CSD Group, and the dedication of a team of volunteers who donated weeks of their time to complete the installation.

Held annually in mid-July, the Circus City Festival features approximately 200 performers, ages seven to 21, who take part in ten performances over eight days. According to Dave Singer, client relationship manager at CSD Group, the circus' "old system consisted of decades-old incandescent white light fixtures with gel frames, so there were limited options for color changing."

Logan Decker, lighting designer at CSD Group, began the process using Capture previsualization software to model the show in 3D. "We designed a full 360-degree lighting system that allows them to highlight any of the three performance rings at any time while creating a much more immersive environment for both performers and the audience," he says.

Trussing surrounds the entire outer perimeter of the performance area, forming a large rectangular lighting grid, approximately 120' long by 40' wide, that spans the arena inside the bleachers. This configuration gives circus staff the flexibility to position fixtures wherever needed and easily add more in the future if desired. A key requirement was to spotlight the action in any one of three rings while keeping the other two softly lit as they reset and prepare for the next act.

The new system features sixteen Elation Fuze SFX moving heads, eight Fuze Wash 500 Fresnel fixtures, twelve Paladin Brick LED battens fitted with 60-degree lenses, two Magma Prime hazers, an Obsidian NX1-16 lighting console running Onyx, and a Netron EN12i for DMX distribution. CSD worked with Elation's manufacturer's rep firm, Five Lakes Marketing, and representative Ed Cheeseman.

"The Fuze 500's main priority is to provide a general wash in spotting performers, ringmasters, or equipment anywhere in the arena at any time," Decker says. "I chose them for their excellent color output, color accuracy, and full color capabilities, as well as the high CRI and wide zoom range."

The Paladin Bricks, RGBW floodlights with IP65 protection, provide color onto the arena floor and into the audience seating areas. "Their high output and full-color capabilities really help create energy throughout the space," Decker says, "and the 60-degree lenses allow for ample coverage of the whole arena."

For dynamic looks, CSD specified Fuze SFX fixtures, LED spot and effects moving heads capable of projecting tight beams to wide washes. "The Fuze SFX fixtures are used for their ability to create an energetic atmosphere through the use of gobos, zooming beams, and their movement capabilities," Decker says.

The SFX's gobo selection, CMY color mixing, color wheel, and dual prisms provide the flexibility to create a variety of dynamic looks and to project a logo within the space. "There are certain performers they want to highlight during their acts -- from tightrope walkers and unicyclists to fire performers and trapeze artists -- and the Fuze SFX is perfect for that," Singer adds.

The design incorporates two Magma Prime hazers, producing a thick, even atmosphere that enhances beam and gobo visibility and helps spread the color through the arena.

In terms of control, "We needed something more powerful and robust than a traditional dimmer board but also something they could step into with the least amount of confusion," Decker says. "The [Obsidian] NX1-16 was chosen for its compact versatility and is ideal for the limited control space we had available. It's also powerful with plenty of universes for expansion. Over my eight years of using the Onyx platform, I have learned that it can be as simple or as advanced as you need it to be, depending on how you set up your views and faders."

Using Onyx, Decker created an intuitive programming environment tailored specifically for the circus. "I implemented a 2D layout of the arena right into their fixture layout, giving them an exact idea of which lights are where. The ability to change fader behavior allowed me to create simple on-and-off cue lists they could use during showtime. The motorized faders are always a huge plus as they can change banks during the show as needed and not lose control of anything active," he says. A touch screen was also added, giving them an easy-to-view visual overview.

CSD also integrated a Netron EN12i to manage DMX distribution throughout the venue. "I've worked with Netron devices over the past few years, and they've been user-friendly and extremely reliable," Decker says. "The integration with Onyx allowed me to configure routing right from the console, which is very important in this install as the EN12i is situated on the mezzanine opposite the control booth. It was very helpful for quick and easy routing changes during install and commissioning."

The installation was completed in March, prior to the start of practices, and made its performance debut during the Peru Amateur Circus' annual summer festival July 10-18.