When it comes to dance photography, the questions I’m often asked are “How to pose for a shoot or how do I come up with the dance poses?” The answer is, I rarely have a preconceived notion of what we’re doing. If I’m working with a company for an advertising campaign, there might be a specific character or theme to guide the direction. In these types of shoots, I direct the dancer to embody that character. However, for personal work, the process is much more organic.
Embracing Spontaneity
In personal projects, I tell dancers to “Bring me the clay, and I’ll mold it into something.” This means I don’t start with a rigid idea or concept. Instead, I encourage the dancers to move freely, drawing inspiration from their past performances or improvisations. Sometimes, I’ll play music and ask them to dance to it. As they move, I observe, marking specific moments where the lines and body positions are particularly striking. These serve as the starting points for our collaboration.
Molding the Clay
Once we identify these key moments, we build on them. It’s a process of refinement where I modify the arms, face, legs, and overall expression to perfect the movement. I liken this process to molding the clay. Unlike when dancers practice, there’s no mirror. They trust me to be their mirror and guide them to make tweaks and adjustments that all align in one incredible instance. This peak moment, where everything aligns perfectly, is what matters most. The goal is to capture all of these elements, the hands, feet, body, head, and expression at their most dramatic point.
Synchronized Perfection
For dance photographers, hitting this peak moment requires precision. The dancer must align every part of their movement to create a visually stunning and emotionally resonant image. This approach ensures that the final photograph is not just a static pose but a dynamic representation of their talent and effort.
Capturing the Moment
My role isn’t to tell dancers how to pose. It’s to capture this millisecond of perfection. A moment that is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. When you watch a dancer perform, you might appreciate the fluidity and grace of their movements. But the most breathtaking moments can be fleeting. Through photography, I freeze these moments in time, allowing the viewer to appreciate the full extent of the dancer’s skill and artistry.
Avoiding Artificial Posing
I’m actually against the concept of “posing” in the traditional sense. Many people associate posing with artificiality stopping what they’re doing to adopt awkward, unnatural positions. This often results in stiff and lifeless images. Instead, I focus on capturing slices of life, genuine moments of movement that reflect the dancer’s true essence.
The Art of Movement
Dance is about movement, and capturing this movement authentically is crucial. While I can position a model to look graceful, true dance photography requires more. It needs to convey the years of training, the sweat, and the dedication that go into each movement. By embracing spontaneity and focusing on the peak moments of movement, I create photographs that tell a story and evoke emotion.
Understanding how to pose for dance photography is less about rigid positions and more about capturing the essence of movement. By working collaboratively with dancers, observing their natural movements, and refining the key moments, I create images that reflect the true artistry of dance. Remember to embrace the movement the next time you think about posing and let the peak moments shine. And most importantly, don’t pose!
