In addition to the time I was able to spend doing street photos in New York, I was able and fortunate enough to get to do an entire shoot with the guys from Project 44. They're an incredibly-talented bunch of dancers based in Queens, directed by Gierre Godley (http://www.project44dance.org/). They tour as well as perform in New York; they just finished a show in Baltimore, and will be traveling to Michigan and Missouri soon. We spent a morning in a rehearsal space in the East Village, which was perfect as I wanted to approach the shoot as an exercise in portraiture, rather than simply 'dance photography.' I love conventional dance photography, but I wanted to do something slightly different; I wanted these shots to be about the dancers, more than 'the dance.' I wanted anyone who sees these photos to get a sense of who these guys are individually, and not just how they're able to move. I believe that who a performer is must necessarily inform what that performer does, and so I hoped to capture these guys in an informal setting, letting their personalities shine through. I hoped by doing this, I'd give the viewer a good sense of why they come together the way they do, when they do, and how the whole really is the sum of its parts. I apply this approach to anyone I photograph; if there's a subject involved, I see portraits, more than I see dance, or music, or sports. It's what I find interesting, and I hope you enjoy these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them. Thanks again to everyone involved!
See full gallery here
