Coriolis Dance: Threaded Cosmos

August 31, 2015

Photographing any Coriolis Dance performance is always exhilarating. In the uniquely private, personal view thru my lens, the dancers, choreography, & music take me to a place of transcendence, connection: a flow of energy occurs, and I become fully aware of only what is in the viewfinder, anticipating, reacting, connecting. Threaded Cosmos, performed by dancer, choreographer, and company co-founder Natascha Greenwalt, was one of these special moments.

Performed at the Belltown Collective as one of the pre-show pieces of the company’s Unfixed Arias, I photographed all rehearsals and performances. On the final night, I found a shooting position that kept a neutral background, and made the best advantage of the beautiful window light from the street outside. I was shooting with my favorite camera/lens*, and it all just fell into place. I had only a couple square feet of floor space to move within, and the rest of my composition was done by moving from the waist, twisting, turning, leaning to compose each frame. My slow, small movements helped connect me to Natascha’s movement. I knew without checking the camera that this was special, the images were special, the feeling was special, profound.

The making of this series of images ranks among my favorite photographic experiences ever.

Some days it is even more wonderful to be a photographer than usual….