Ballet Bodyscapes

Dancer: Naomi Tanioka of Ballet Arizona Make Up: Lorraine Garcia Hair: Lisa Marie Mode Photographer: Ron Brwer Images

I hadn’t really thought much about doing bodyscapes using ballet dancers, but the concept has grown with me over the last year or so. Now I love the idea. I had done, as had every other photographer, crops of ballet dancer legs before, but I’m starting to explore images of other body areas. Honestly, the legs, feet and hands will always be the big focus point in ballet. It taking some re-training of my mind’s eye to see the ballerina body differently.

Randy Crespo by Ron Brewer Images

Arianni Martin and Randy Crespo by Ron Brewer Images

Arianni Martin and Randy Crespo by Ron Brewer Images

Arianni Martin by Ron Brewer Images

Hannah Potter by Ron Brewer Images

Randy Crespo by Ron Brewer Images

 

Dancer Credit:    Randy Crespo of Ballet Arizona
Arianni Martin of Ballet Arizona
Hannah Potter of Grand Rapids Ballet
Naomi Tanioka o Ballet Arizona

Support:              For Naomi: Make up by Lorraine Garcia Rivera and Hair by Lisa Marie

 

Ballet in Black and White

Sometimes color just gets in the way. More black and white toning for this set of images.

These black and white images feature Arianni Martin and Randy Crespo, of Ballet Arizona. These dancers know how to work in front of a lens, making for an exciting session.

 

 

Dancer Credit:  Arianni Martin and Randy Crespo of Ballet Arizona

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As the Dress Turns

Nothing like an dance image that has a flaring dress in it!  When the fabric is just right and the dancer moves just right, it results in magic!

Actually, it takes good light and clicking the shutter at the right moment, too.  As well as a few other technical things. But when dramatic light hits a flowing fabric, it really is magic.

 

Dancer Credit:  Doreen Gill

Ron Brewer Images
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Never Stop Dancing

Beauty. Maturity. Elegance. Sophistication. Dramatic. Active. Funny. Creative. Confidant.

All of these words come to mind every time I go back and look at the ballroom images I created last November of Doreen. Doreen is a mature woman who has decided that she will dance. And keep on dancing. So Doreen continues to take dance lessons from her instructor, Chris Lansford, of The Dance Doctors in Surprise, AZ.

I am not a dancer, but it seems to me that age, dancing and beauty are all very similar. Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen Holton (54), states that “Attitude and presence have a lot more to do with someone thinking that you are older than you are.” She was speaking of mature beauty, but I would think that the same is true in dance. Why, I just saw a video of a 100 year old woman that is still beautifully dancing. Yeah, 100. Grace is not restrained by age.

I just recently did another session with Doreen in more amazing ballroom attire. By the way, did I mention that this incredible woman actually designs and makes her own ballroom costumes? She made the costumes in these images.  I’ll be posting some of her new images in a few days on my Facebook page. She hasn’t even seen them yet and I’m really excited to show them to her this week. Stunning! 

 

Dancer Credit:  Doreen Gill and Chris Lansford (Dance Instructor at The Dance Doctors, Surprise, AZ)

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More Black and White Dancing

 

Andrea Lasley by Ron Brewer Images

It’s no secret that I love black and white images. So here are a few more to add to the original post on Dancing in Black and White.

 

 

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Dancers Credits:
Andrea Lasley
Mytia McNeal

Ballet from Backstage

Backstage is special.

Ballet is beautiful to watch from the perspective of the audience, but it takes on an unusual look and beauty from backstage. Your appreciation grows.

When you are backstage you get to see things that the audience will never get to see. That usually means that you are shooting from the wings (sides) of the stage, so your perspective is different. When you are backstage, the lighting comes from behind the dancer. Often the dancer is not facing you, as they are to the audience.

It’s special to see ballet from behind. Not many people get to do that.

 

 

 

 

 

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Dancer Credit:  Faculty and Students of the West Valley Conservatory of Ballet, Surprise AZ
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The Magic of Ballroom Costumes

I’ve photographed a number of ballroom costumes recently. I have to say that I love photographing ballroom costumes. They are sophisticated, bold, striking, wild, colorful, sexy, and have flair. Actually, a LOT of flair. It doesn’t matter if it’s a long tail tux or a wild, red fringed two piece (like this piece being worn by Dr. Mytia McNeal), they always capture well. Ballroom costumes always represent fantasy. Maybe that’s what makes them so much fun?

I have to say that I was rather surprised when I first learned the cost of these garments. It’s not unusual to find them in the $4,000 to $10,000 range. That’s EACH costume, not a wardrobe of costumes. Maybe that adds to the fantasy?

 

Dancer Credit: Dr. Mytia McNeal

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Just what is so important about dance?

What is so important about dance? Why am I so captivated with it?

I am not a dancer and don’t really have any ambition to learn to dance, so perhaps my passion for dance is even less explainable. At times I wonder if I possess enough grace to successfully walk across the room, much less dance across it. I didn’t even appreciate dance until I was older. I’ve always loved beautiful and dramatic photographs, which led me to appreciate some of the incredible dance images that I had come across by other photographers. My interest was stirred, and then my good friend Andrea let me photograph her dance and I was hooked. When dance produces grace and beauty, I’m mesmerized. Just as the dancer MUST dance, I must photograph dance.

I’m fascinated with how a mother with infant in arms can dance around a room and both be filled with joy and laughter. Or how my friend will cry while watching ballet. Dance truly  affects both the dancer and the viewer.

I don’t know the answer to the original question. I wish I did. My guess is that the answer to the question may be different for everyone. But maybe it doesn’t really matter. To enjoy it is simply enough.

 

Dancer Credit: Andrea Lasley (www.alasley.com)
Inspiration Credit:  Andrea Lasley

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An Anniversary Dance

I captured this dramatic image of local ballroom champions Marie and Chad Burson in our recent studio session. They are an exciting couple to work with, as they both know how to work the camera and understand beauty in art. That skill isn’t necessary for the dancers to have in order to achieve great images, but when they do, it allows the session move at a quicker pace. A dancer must understand dance. The photographer must understand the rest of it. Then, together, they can build great images. But these two have it all. Even so, we still shot for 8+ hours that day, which gave us a wide variety of work. A tiring day for everyone, but the kind of tiredness that’s filled with satisfaction from knowing that you got the shots you had in your vision. The vision was created in a pre-shoot consolation as we developed the concepts for the shoot. We did the shoot on their wedding anniversary, which made it special. Even though a shoot is hard, exhausting work, they spent the day creating beautiful and romatic art in each other’s arms. How many couples can say that about their anniversary day?

Dancer Credit:  Marie and Chad Burson

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Dance Art

 

To be a work of art, an image must emotionally connect with the viewer. Otherwise, it’s simply a snapshot. Viewers may not be able to tell you what the TECHNICAL difference (from a photographic perspective) is between an artful image and a snapshot, but they can always tell you which one is a snapshot and which one is a work of art. They know immediately.

But for dancers, an image has to be more than a work of art. The dancer’s technique must be perfect. And perfect dance technique makes for a more artful image.

Dancer Credit:  Olive Quintata

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