Capturing the Art and Soul of Dance in Photography

Dance photography can communicate both the inherent spirit of its subject—the dancer’s personality and individual style—and the emotion or intention underlying a gesture.

Legendary modern American dancer Martha Graham wrote that it’s rare to find the photographer who “can capture the instant of a dance and transform it into a timeless gesture.” Graham did find that person in photographer Barbara Morgan, and the celebrated images that they created together in the 1930s and early 1940s are as powerful now as they were when they originated.

Today, dance photography is a highly varied genre of image-making, and through different aesthetic and technical effects represents the act and the art of dancing in poetic, captivating ways. Like any photograph, a dance image isolates a split-second in time, but its specific intention is to convey the idea of movement.

In the Studio

Woman Dancer — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Pole Dancer — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

The earliest dance photographs coincided with the invention of photography itself and date to the mid-19^th century. That’s when static poses of artists—usually ballet dancers—began to appear as daguerreotypes. In the early 20^th century, photographers used newly-available electric lighting and increasingly sophisticated cameras to create more expressive portraits. By the 1920s and 1930s, modern dance was developing as an avant-garde art form. Photographers who were also pushing the boundaries of their discipline began representing dancers in motion, using experimental lighting and compositions.

Contemporary approaches to studio dance photography continue the tradition of the dancer holding a static pose to create a sculptural shape, usually offset against a plain white, muted, or dark backdrop. Often, the dancer will wear minimal dancewear to draw attention to the contours of their physique. Different lighting accentuates specific aspects of the body or positions, thereby abstracting ideas about their movement. High-contrast, directional lighting lends the image a dramatic, suspenseful quality, while backlighting (sometimes with smoke added) offers a more ethereal silhouette. The more contemporary trend of strobe lighting is an impactful method of isolating the progressions of a dancer’s movements—such as the swing of an arm or leg—making a statement about dance as motion through time and space.

Thoughts on Framing and Props

Framing an image is a deliberate choice for many photographers, who use cropping or a square format to accentuate a pose or step. Focusing the viewer’s attention closely on the dancer, with less negative space around them, gives a sense of potential movement. The dancer appears literally contained by the frame, yet also ready to break beyond it.

Ballet Dancer — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Studio images often make use of fluid, lightweight material or flowing costumes. There’s infinite possibility as the fabric falls, creating a unique form each time. Similarly, the dancer themselves will never perform the same step in an identical way. When the two elements of fabric and dancer magically echo the shape of each other, they appear to have a united direction and the image becomes especially resonant.

In Performance

Ballroom Dancers — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Classical Indian Dance — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Capturing dancers on stage in the context of tightly delineated choreography, costumes, and set design requires a specific photographic skill set. Approaches range from shooting the whole stage from the viewpoint of the audience, to zooming in on a solo performer, or (for a more impressionistic, dynamic effect) deliberately creating motion blur. Each element can give a strong sense of moment as part of a longer narrative or sequence of choreography.

However, flash is usually prohibited during a performance, so getting the right exposure is a key challenge. Large aperture wide-angle and zoom lenses can accommodate for the lack of flash, while different shutter speeds offer varying aesthetic effects.

Working With Choreographed Movement

Many pro dance photographers will build long relationships with dance companies and theaters. Over time, they acquire a deep knowledge of the company’s particular dance discipline and oft-repeated pieces. Anticipating the right moment to press the shutter to capture the apex of a jump, for example, or an important climactic moment in the choreography, takes experience and fine judgement, as well as a good understanding of the steps involved.

Ballroom Dancing — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Dance Performance — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

For a more intimate image that draws the viewer in, isolating parts of the dancers can be evocative for highlighting their movement in a performance or particular patterns created by the choreography.

Going Behind-the-Scenes

Ballerina Backstage — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Dance Class — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Images showing how much sweat and hard work goes into the training of a professional dancer, or a live performance, tell the story of dance using a documentary style. Reportage of dancers in the wings—before and between their entrances on stage, or in class or rehearsal—has a candid, behind-the-scenes appeal that contrasts with the polish of a performance. Photos in this niche can also show the pure joy people experience when they’re uninhibited and dancing unguardedly.

Taking It to the Streets

Breakdancing — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Street Ballet — *Images via Shutterstock’s The Art of Dance Photography Collection.*

Photographing dancers in urban settings has been a hugely popular trend in recent decades. The environment of the city can provide a visually exciting backdrop to many types of dancing, not just street dance. For example, linear architecture as a background juxtaposes with the curves of a dancer’s body in motion. Meanwhile, playing with scale or vantage point can emphasize the athleticism and sheer physicality of dance as an art form. Many photographers have found that using a street setting for ballet dancers in particular makes ballet itself more accessible for a wider public audience.

Street shoots often take place early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when natural light is more directional. Or, for practical reasons, at night when there’s less traffic and fewer people are around. Working without a tripod, because of the need to shift locations quickly, can give the photographer freedom in their composition. Similarly, there’s more potential for spontaneous and improvised movement on behalf of the dancer, as they explore ways to respond to their environment in the moment. Some of the most successful images have a real air of suspense, even risk if the location is particularly precarious. These images give a palpable sense of what it is for a dancer to move through space, defying gravity, and suspending the viewer’s belief—if only for a moment.

The Art and Soul of Dance Photography

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Cover image via Master1305.

The Art and Soul of Dance Photography

Dance photography can communicate both the inherent spirit of its subject—the dancer’s personality and individual style—and the emotion or intention underlying a gesture.