Rehearsal Photos | EXISTENTIA
Please enjoy some of the rehearsal photos I took of EXISTENTIA, a piece choreographed by Craig Davidson for the Origen Festival Cultural.
The Première was on the 2nd of July, 2020 in the Riom Castle, Switzerland.
Elena Vostrotina and Jan Casier in rehearsal.
Please enjoy some of the rehearsal photos I took of EXISTENTIA, a piece choreographed by Craig Davidson for the Origen Festival Cultural.
The Première was on the 2nd of July, 2020 in the Riom Castle, Switzerland.
Dancers from Ballett Zürich: Elena Vostrotina, Michelle Willems, Francesca Dell'Aria, Jan Casier, Esteban Berlanga and Lucas Valente.
Costume Design by Christopher John Parker.
Photos taken in the studios of Yen Han Ballet Productions.
Exploring Street Photography
Street photography forces you to be present and really see your surroundings. When I step out onto the sidewalk I see so many interesting stories taking place. It is exciting, but frustrating at the same time, as it is so hard to be able to capture one of those little stories or situations without getting in closer.
I needed a project. One that involved actually taking photos as opposed to just sitting in front of my computer going through my archives*.
*More on that in a future post
I wanted to explore a different form of photography, one which - most importantly - would get me out of my comfort zone. I’ve always been a huge admirer of the “father of street photography”, Henry Cartier-Bresson, and other masters like Robert Doisneau. Their work made me fall in love with black-and-white photography. When you remove that seductive colour from an image, the photograph gets stripped down, exposing its basic elements: light and shadow, line and shape. To quote the photographer Ted Grant:
“When you photograph people in colour you photograph their clothes. When you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls.”
I bought a little 23mm fixed lens Fujifilm camera, the X100F, for my street photography. It is small, inconspicuous, and cost me half the price of the very much praised newer version: The X100V.
Street photography forces you to be present and really see your surroundings. When I step out onto the sidewalk I see so many interesting stories taking place. It is exciting, but frustrating at the same time, as it is so hard to be able to capture one of those little stories or situations without getting in closer. At the beginning I felt anxious taking photos of people without them knowing. I felt like a spy. If I asked someone to take their photo they would either decline, or the situation would be gone and therefore the "magic" of the photograph gone with it.
Therefore I chose to stop asking my subjects for permission. I decided to walk around with a more open and relaxed attitude. The few times someone has seen me taking their photograph I would give them a smile and show them that I mean no harm. It has lead to interesting conversations with people I would never have met. Maybe I haven't been doing this long enough, but no-one has asked me to delete a photo yet. And if they do I would gladly comply.
In any genre of photography you, the photographer, have a responsibility: To have empathy for your subjects, to not exploit or take advantage of them. Street photography is a very important form of photography- documenting life as it really is: Unfiltered. Not like the over-manipulated selfie-world society is obsessed with today.
Below I’ve added a few photos from my recent wanderings with my camera. I’m posting them on my personal Instagram profile too, if you are interested in following my experimentation with photography there: @admill_explores
Kreationen Rehearsal Photos | Ballett Zürich - Junior Ballett
I would like to share some dance photos I took of the Zürich Junior Ballett’s rehearsals for their production “Kreationen”. At least they were still able to have one performance before everything got shut down due to the pandemic.
Hey, how is everyone doing? Hope you are finding ways to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. One of the best ways to cope is by creating a good routine for every day. It’s a great time to read and learn new things.
Now is the time to use the internet in the way it was always meant to be used - communicating with friends and loved ones all over the world, supporting each other, and sharing helpful information and resources.
I would like to share some dance photos I took of the Zürich Junior Ballett’s rehearsals for their production “Kreationen”. At least they were still able to have one performance before everything got shut down due to the pandemic.
Enjoy the photos, I hope they bring you inspiration in this uncertain time.
I wish everyone hope and courage, stay optimistic. Hang in there!
Kreationen featuring: Dancers of the Junior Ballett in "Echo of Elements" by Filipe Portugal, "Wounded" by Louis Stiens and "Submerge" by Goyo Montero.
Many thanks to the Zürich Ballett
Dance, and then what?
All dancers have to face that question, sooner or later. I know that most dancers don’t even think about it until that day comes.
Ed Louzardo in rehearsal for “Attacke.”
Choreography by Reginaldo Oliveira, Badisches Staatsballett Karlsruhe
The former World No. 1 golfer, Ernie Els, also known as “The Big Easy," said that his family was all obviously very proud of him, but that his gran kept asking him when he was going to get a proper job. This is probably a question most ballet dancers have to hear from their relatives too. Ballet dancers fit the role of the “Starving Artist," doing what they love for the passion of the art itself.
In countries like Germany, it is possible for a dancer to have a more or less decent standard of living. But in most other countries, dancers either need a rich family to support them, or they’ll have to scrape by to make a living. The love of dance alone doesn’t pay the bills. And theatres everywhere are cutting positions in order to save money. Fewer dancers in a company means more hours of work. Overworked dancers are more prone to injuries. Injuries make the short career of a dancer even shorter. And then what? All dancers have to face that question, sooner or later. I know that most dancers don’t even think about it until that day comes.
Dancers rarely have the savings of a professional sportsman to help make the transition. A friend of mine recently said that he admired me for starting out on a completely new career path and that he would be scared sh*tless. I am scared sh*tless. But do I have a choice, other than to start something new?
Even though I thought a lot about my transition during my dance career, I’m still unsure, I still feel like I’m making a big leap. It’s a very important choice; I was lucky to have a long career of almost 20 years, but the career thereafter would hopefully last 30 years or more, if I live that long. Dancers don’t always have the luxury to “build a bridge” to their next career. I did try, but being a professional ballet dancer takes all your focus and energy. You can’t ask your boss to only work half-time while you build your new business or study something on the side.
There is a wonderful foundation in Berlin, called Stiftung Tanz, which helps dancers with the process of transition. A quote from their website:
"We accompany and support dancers from the beginning of their education through every stage of their career up until the conclusion of their process of transition”.
A lady from the foundation came to speak at our ballet company. She said that dancers have to start thinking about their possibilities as early as they can. I wish that more countries had foundations like these. But even with their help, transition is scary. I knew the day would come for me, but I didn’t realise that the one thing I’d need most is patience. Life is much more of a marathon than a sprint. I’m slowly building up contacts and gaining opportunities. But it has to happen naturally.
Before, my life was organised by my work schedule at the theatre. To become self-employed I need to create my own schedule. I need to take full responsibility. It is scary, but there is freedom in that too.
I have to now really live in the moment. I need to learn to celebrate the small victories, to enjoy the journey. I want to be a photographer, because I need to create art. I need to be flexible and experience different things everyday. I want to continue living my passion for dance through photography. And there is no better time to try. I’d rather fail than never try.
I’m hoping that my transition into my next career will continue evolving, that the career itself is a transition that never ends.
Are you an ex-dancer that is in the middle of their transition, or are you already through your transition and have something to share? I would love to hear about your thoughts, worries, success stories and ideas. Are you a dancer exploring the possibilities for what is to come? Even if you don’t have anything to do with the dance world, but have a similar story which may help others, please use the comment section below to continue the discussion. Let’s help each other.
Romeo and Juliet in Mozart's Hometown
Tonight is the premiere of Reginaldo Oliveira's "Romeo and Juliet" at the Salzburg State Theatre.
Márcia Jaqueline and Flavio Salamanka
Tonight is the premiere of Reginaldo Oliveira's "Romeo and Juliet" at the Salzburg State Theatre.
I took photos of the dress rehearsals this week, of which there are a few below to see.
My journey as a dance photographer started with Reginaldo’s first choreographic attempt, also named ‘Attempt.’ I documented the creation process and performances of his works at the Staatsballett Karlsruhe, including the very successful ‘Anne Frank’. Reginaldo worked on ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with the same prominent design team as always: Sebastian Hannak as stage designer, and Judith Adam as the dance costume designer. The scenery fits very well with Salzburg’s beautiful Baroque architecture. It has a nice modern twist, though, which almost reminds me of the movie ‘Inception’.
Toi toi toi to everyone at the Salzburger Landestheater, it was so lovely to see so many familiar faces again!
