have you ever been that close to dancers that you can feel the whip of wind from flowing dresses?
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| Entwined, so near yet so far |
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| Dreaming |
i paid two hundred pesos to get a photographers' pass that allowed me to sit in a cramped corner right beside the dancefloor as i observed the competitors of the 2010 IDSF World Dancesport sashay across the floor.
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| Face |
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| Choreographed Disorder |
it was exhilarating to feel the energy from the competitors as they moved through a number of dances in as many categories. it was interesting to note that they have juvenile, adults and a special category called teacher and student category.
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| Happy Feet |
except that it was pretty obvious that the "teacher and student" category is reserved for elderly matrons with their favorite dance instructors as partners. pretty tactful, you wouldn't want to call that category as "expired" or "aging".
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| Love is Bloody Red |
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| Pretty In Pink |
seriously? they should be proud to be aging gracefully. amazing athleticism from the competitors. despite the rigid stance of the standard dances where elbows are kept high and heads tossed back, they manage to move ever so fluidly.
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| Orange Fire |
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| Blue Haze |
what i found to be a bit contrived was the juvenile category. i understand that they want to encourage dancing as a sport for the younger generation. what comes off as disconnected is the adult makeup and outfit that the kids wore for their dances. it's a personal opinion of course.
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| Foreground, Background |
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| Student Teacher Category |
my challenge for this series though is to capture movement, grace, power, emotion, colors, contrast and dance. whereas other photographers would choose to capture the sharpest pictures, i chose to show movement.
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| Green with Envy |
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| Golden Sunset |
i don't have much interest in the personalities involved, what gets my attention is the contrast of foreground and background couples. the juxtaposed confusion of multiple dancers that seem to fight for the same space but manages to coexist in a choreographed disarray.
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| paparazzi |
in this hyper-egotistical sport where competitors are always conscious about their appearances, i chose to blur their faces. instead, i capture the twirl of a gown, the sparkle of an embroidered brocade, the glitter of crystals and sequins.
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| madam butterfly |
will it win any standard notion of a photography competition? probably not. on the other hand, will it survive as art work that hangs in an art house? most likely yes.
ah, dance like you've never been hurt.
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