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category: Dance Photography

05.14.2010

The North Carolina Dance Theatre saved some of its best for last as Director’s Choice caps off the season with three incredible pieces.

I was taken by the beauty of George Balanchine’s Apollo, performed by David Ingram along with Traci Gilchrest, Alessandra Ball and Anna Gerberich. The program includes Constructing Juliet, with choreography by Mark Godden and Broken Fantasy, another spectacular work by NCDT’s resident choreographer Dwight Rhoden.

Beautiful lines from Balanchine's Apollo

David Ingram soars as Apollo

Ingram lifts Anna Gerberich, left, and Alessandra Ball

Traci Gilchrest, front, with fellow muses Anna Gerberich and Alessandra Ball

Traci Gilchrest, front, with fellow muses Alessandra Ball and Anna Gerberich

Alessandra Ball

David Ingram and Traci Gilchrest

Gilchrest and Ingram

More symmetry from Apollo

Classic lines

Spin

Alessandra Ball, front, Traci Gilchrest and Anna Gerberich in Apollo

Apollo dances with his muses

Unison

Sasha Janes and Rebecca Carmazzin in Constructing Juliet

Janes and Carmazzi

Traci Gilchrest

Sarah James

Constructing Juliet

Sasha Janes in Constructing Juliet

Kara Wilkes in Dwight Rhoden's Broken Fantasy

Jamie Dee and Addul Manzano

Max Levy, left, with Kara Wilkes and David Ingram

Footwork

Sarah Hayes Watson and Justin VanWeest

Dancer

Max Levy weaves through the dancers

Amazing costumes from Christine Darch

Perspiration flies as Max Levy leaps

Shadow and light

Curtain call (Part 1)

Curtain call (Part 2)

03.05.2010

Artist director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s ballet Cinderella comes to life as the North Carolina Dance Theatre dancers take the stage in the brand-spanking new Knight Theater in Charlotte.

Costume designer A. Christina Giannini’s beautiful, colorful creations and some wonderful set designs by Alain Vaes help the talented NCDT dancers tell the fairytale.

The shows runs March 5-7 as well as March 11-14.

Traci Gilchrest and David Ingram in the lead roles

Alessandra Ball, one of three dancers who will take a turn as Cinderella, performs as a stepsister

Mary-Ellen Beaudreau, from left, Mark Diamond and Alessandra Ball have some fun as the wicked stepfamily

Dustin Layton, left, and Nick de la Vega measure Alessanda Ball for her dress as Diamond looks on

More from the dress making scene

Cooks David Morse and Carlie Mills watch Mary-Ellen Beaudreau taste their soup

Stepsister Mary-Ellen Beaudreau

Traci Gilchrest is Cinderella

Gilchrest has a new dance partner

Kara Wilkes is the Fairy Godmother

Beautiful costumes

Cinderella waits during the ball

Sara Hayes Watson soars

Jamie Dee

Dancers in motion

Kara Wilkes spins

Max Levy

Alessandra Ball and Mary-Ellen Beaudreau have some fun at the ball

Alessandra Ball and Mary-Ellen Beaudreau get a little crazy at the ball

Colorful costumes from A. Christina Giannini

Cinderella makes a grand entrance

Waiting to dance

On their toes

Traci Gilchrest and David Ingram

Cinderella and the Prince

The new Knight Theater is a beautiful facility

Gilchrest and Ingram

12.12.2009

The North Carolina Dance Theatre’s 2009 production of The Nutcracker opened last night and I wanted to share some images from the dress rehearsal Thursday.

The show includes the usual mix of wonderful music from The Charlotte Symphony, colorful costumes and a great collaboration of local youngsters and professional dancers from NCDT and NCDT 2. There are a variety of shows including matinees so be sure to check the NCDT website for details.

Happy Holidays!

The Nutcracker leaps to action in North Carolina Dance Theatre's production of The Nutcracker

Alessandra Ball waits to take the stage

Clara dances with delight with her Christmas present

NCDT's Sarah Hayes Watson with Herr Drosselmeyer, portrayed by Mark Diamond

Sarah Hayes Watson dances to the delight of the children

Love the lines and the colors in this image

Addul Manzano and Kara Wilkes

Snowflakes glide across the stage

More snowflakes

Little angels float through the fog

More angels

The production includes many local children and dancers from North Carolina Dance Theatre 2

Rebecca Carmazzi is the Sugar Plum Fairy

Wonderful costumes

Mary Ellen Beaudreau and Dustin Layton

Jamie Dee dances

More Jamie Dee

A colorful dance from Sarh Hayes Watson

Mother Ginger and friends

Kar Wilkes gets a lift from Justin VanWeest

Kara Wilkes gets a lift from Justin VanWeest

Rebecca Carmazzi prepares as she gets ready to take the stage

Dancer/choreographer Sasha Janes watches as he prepares to dance

Rebecca Carmazzi and Sasha Janes

12.05.2009

With the holidays approaching fast I hope everyone is getting into the spirit of the season.

I thought I’d try to get in the mood with a bit of a trip down memory lane with some festive images from the North Carolina Dance Theatre’s (NCDT) performances of The Nutcracker over the years. This year’s staging kicks off next week so I jumped the gun and gathered a few old chestnuts from our photo vault.

My first exposure to NCDT’s amazing dancers was in the early 90s while working for The Charlotte Observer. Dance photography has remained a passion for more than 15 years and it’s been a pleasure documenting the performances of this incredibly talented troupe.

Another interesting aspect of assembling these images was seeing the progression of photo technology during the span these photographs were taken. After starting with film, I moved through a variety of digital cameras and the improvements in technology is noticeable. I included some technical information for photographers. It’s evident that upgrades in camera technology now allow images that just weren’t possible before.

The biggest change has been the improvement in the high ISO ranges of the newer cameras. While I once had to shoot very slow shutter speeds just to try to get an image, I now have the option of using the slow shutter speed for aesthetics or I can change to a higher shutter speed to freeze motion. The reduction in noise in extremely high ISOs and the overall color saturation of the images is also vastly better.

But enough technical talk. It’s the holidays. Crank up some Christmas music, grab some eggnog and enjoy!

I’ll be photographing the 2009 version next week so check back for some fresh images. Hey, you can’t have too many Nutcracker photos - right? That would be like having too many Christmas presents.

2007 performance, Nikon D2X, 1/30th of a second at ISO 800

Snowflakes in 2007. Nikon D2X 1/30th f2.8 ISO 800

Jason Jacobs portrays the Mouse King in 2001. Nikon D1 at 1/15th of a second

Jason Jacobs portrays the Mouse King in 2001. Nikon D1 1/15th f2.8 ISO 800

Traci Gilchrest slithers in 2001. Nikon D1 at 1/100th of a second

Traci Gilchrest slithers in 2001. Nikon D1 1/100th f2.8 ISO 800

Dancers wait backstage in 2007. Nikon D2X, 1/30th at f2.8 800 ISO

Dancers wait backstage in 2007. Nikon D2X 1/30th f2.8 800 ISO

Barry Leon leaps as Drosselmeyer in the mid 90s. Film image taken with Nikon F5

Barry Leon leaps as Herr Drosselmeyer in 1996. Film image taken with Nikon F5 (Fuji 800)

Mia Cunningham's Clara gets a lift in 1996. Nikon F5 film image (Fuji 800)

Shell Bauman and Heather Malloy in 2001. Nikon D1 1/30th at f2.8

Heather Malloy as Clara in 2001. Nikon D1 1/30th f2.8 ISO 800

Snowflake Miranda Haywood soars in 2001. Nikon D1 1/20th f2.8 ISO 800

Ellen Hummel as Clara in 2007. Nikon D2X 1/30th f2.8 ISO 800

Jasmine Perry is Clara in 2008. Nikon D3 1/800th f2.8 ISO 2500

Sasha Janes as Drosselmeyer lifts Ellen Hummel's Clara in2007. Nikon D2X 1/200th f2.8 ISO 800

Mark Diamond's Drosselmeyer with Jasmine Perry in 2008. Nikon D3 1/800th f5.0 ISO 2500

Heather Malloy and friends in 2001. Nikon D1 1/10th f2.8 ISO 800

The Nutcracker leads the charge in 2008. Nikon D3 1/250th f4.5 ISO 4000

The Mouse King in 2008. Nikon D3 f 1/125th f4.0 ISO 4000

Seia Rassenti prances in 2006. Nikon D2Hs 1/200th f2.8 ISO 800

A young dancer runs out from beneath Mother Ginger's dress in 2006. Nikon D2Hs 1/200th f3.0 ISO 800

Kati Hanlon Mayo in 2001. Nikon D1 1/200th f2.8 ISO 800

Snowflakes in 2007. Nikon D2X 1/20th f2.8 ISO 800

Snowflaks circa '08. Nikon D3 1/400th f2.8 ISO 3200

Angel from the mid 90s. Nikon F5 film image (Fuji 800@ 1600)

Angel from 1996. Nikon F5 film image (Fuji 800)

Angel from 2008. Nikon D3 1/100th f2.8 ISO 4000

NCDT2 dancer Sarah Hay waits to perform in 2006. Nkon D2Hs 1/160th f2.8 640 ISO

Dancer Sarah James in 2008. Nikon D3 1/1000th f2.8 ISO 2000

Dancer readies in the wings in 1996. Nikon F5 Fuji 800

Dancer readies in the wings in 1996. Nikon F5 film image (Fuji 800)

Nutcracker loses his head in 2007. Nikon D2X 1/125th f2.8 ISO 800

Mia Cunningham's Clara spins in the early 90s. Nikon F5 film image (Fuji 800)

11.05.2009

North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Innovative Works is a showcase of several contemporary ballets with diverse pieces on artist Henri Matisse and social media among others and pulsating music from the likes of Steve Ray Vaughan and The Chemical Brothers.

The works are visually stunning and it was a pleasure to photograph these incredible dancers in these unique productions.

Mark Diamond’s “Matisse” was innovative and beautiful as the choreographer intermingles the artist with subjects from some of his most famous creations. NCDT dancer Sasha Janes choreographed “Glass Houses,” which he said is a loose interpretation of today’s new media such as Facebook and MySpace, and how they impact individuals. He also utilized a sculpture from a former McColl Center for the Visual Art artist in residence, Shaun Cassidy, in the piece.

The shows start tonight at 7:30 followed by shows Friday and Saturday. They will also run at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 12-14.

Mary Ellen Beaudreau is a muse in Mark Diamond's "Matisse"

Justin VanWeest leaps across the Booth Playhouse stage in Dwight Rhoden's "Moody Booty Blues"

Rebecca Carmazzi and Addul Manzano in "Moody Booty Blues"

Rebecca Carmazzi glides across the stage

Rebecca Carmazzi and Addul Manzano

Justin VanWeest

Jamie Dee waits to take the stage in "Tearing for a Cure" by Uri Sands

Sahsa Janes lifts Traci Gilchrest in "Tearing for a Cure"

Kara Wilkes leaps

More Kara Wilkes

David Ingram and Kara Wilkes

Kara Wilkes walks away from David Ingram in "Tearing for a Cure"

Anna Gerberich opens up "There Again, Not Slowly"

Alessandra Ball dances with Rebecca Carmazzi

Sasha Janes lifts Rebecca Carmazzi

David Ingram leaps in Diamond's "There Again, Not Slowly"

More David Ingram

Anna Gerberich and David Ingram in the spotlight

Dustin Layton plays the artist Henri Matisse and Traci Gilchrest is the inspiration for one of his paintings in Mark Diamond's "Matisse"

Dustin Layton plays the artist Henri Matisse and Traci Gilchrest is the inspiration for one of his paintings in "Matisse"

Dustin Layton leaps as Traci Gilchrest is framed onstage

Mary Ellen Beaudreau in "Matisse"

More from "Matisse"

Rebecca Carmazzi gets warmed up backstage as she prepares for "Glass Houses" by Sasha Janes

Justin VanWeest lifts Alessandra Ball in "Glass Houses"

More from "Glass Houses," which incorporates a sculpture by Shaun Cassidy

David Ingram and Rebecca Carmazzi in "Glass Houses"

Taking a bow after "Moody Booty Blues"

09.17.2009

The North Carolina Dance Theatre (NCDT) kicks off its 2009-2010 season with Ballet, Ballroom & Bluegrass and I got the opportunity to photograph the dress rehearsal Wednesday night in the Belk Theater in Charlotte.

The eclectic show includes Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Shindig, featuring live bluegrass music from Asheville’s The Greasy Beans. Twyla Tharp’s ballroom-inspired Nine Sinatra Songs includes music by Frank Sinatra and costumes by Oscar de la Renta. Rounding out the program is Alonzo King’s MAP, which is a metaphor for the different paths individuals choose in life.

Dustin Layton and Kara Wilkes perform in Nine Sinatra Songs

Anna Gerberich and Joseph Watson glide across the floor

Addul Manzano and Jamie Dee show some ballroom skills

Addul Manzano and Jamie Dee move to the Sinatra music

Manzano lifts Dee

David Ingram and Traci Gilchrest

Gilchrest and Ingram

Sara James spins with an assist from Max Levy

Sarah James spins with an assist from Max Levy

Rebecca Carmazzi dips with help from Sasha Janes

Janes lifts Carmazzi

Alessandra Ball and Ann Gerberich move around xxx in Alonzo King's MAP

Alessandra Ball and Anna Gerberich move around Dustin Layton in Alonzo King's MAP

Addul Manzano soars in MAP

Sasha Janes and Traci Gilchrest are in the spotlight in MAP

Gilchrest and Janes move in MAP

Traci Gilchrest and Sahsa Janes

More movement in Alonzo King's MAP

Janes and Gilchrest show some emotion in MAP

David Ingram lifts Rebecca Carmazzi

Dancers get ready to kick up their heels in Shindig

Sarah Hayes Watson works on her moves before the curtain opens

Sarah James and Alessandra Ball have some fun waiting to go onstage

Justin VanWeest reflects as her prepares to perform

Justin VanWeest reflects as he prepares to perform

Kara Wilkes prepares to perform in Shindig

Sasha Janes and Anna Gerberich get into the bluegrass music in Shindig

Max Levy leaps while dancing with Traci Gilchrest

Max Levy and Traci Gilchrest

Alessandra Ball leaps

Anna Gerberich in Shindig

Sasha Janes and Rebecca Carmazzi kick up their heels

12.12.2008

There is so much gloom and doom around these days that it seems a perfect time to get a respite by taking in the North Carolina Dance Theatre’s (NCDT) performance of the holiday classic The Nutcracker.

Thursday night’s dress rehearsal was a delight with beautiful music by the Charlotte Symphony, incredible colorful costumes and of course amazing dancing from the NCDT professionals along with help from area children.

Please remember these images are all copyrighted.

Happy Holidays!