Dance In Focus/Anatomy of A Ballet
About the Collections:
Dance In Focus
Introduction by Nicholas A. Price
The complexity of dance, the simplicity of form, the combination of available light and the use of black and white film provided the perfect medium for my Dance in Focus collection. These photographs are part of a broader study of modern dance and an illustration of how the human body, caught in a moment, can provide the eye with a delight similar to that of an abstract sculpture. I wanted the dancers to appear as statues for a moment rarely appreciated whilst a dance is being executed upon the stage.
Nicholas A. Price. ©2009
Anatomy of A Ballet
Introduction by Nicholas A. Price
In looking for a dance subject I wanted to undertake a project which was not only a documentation of an entire dance company but a visual inspiration.
Every year in America you hear of the usual favorites arriving on stage, maybe a little variation but much the same production.
On my travels I found a small provincial ballet company in Florida and a choreographer from Texas. The Company had made the bold albeit risky decision of putting an entirely different set of productions on the American stage, many having not seen the light of day in the United States in recent years if ever to my knowledge. This was the opportunity to not only see and document something different but to work closely with the company to show the entire process from start to finish in a candid documentary style.
I have provided a glimpse into the practice, the costumes, the rehearsals, the nerves, sore toes and final stage production. The entire project was shot on traditional black and white film using entirely manual equipment, with available light only and was hand printed in my darkroom.
