Blog #155   4/27/16

I have studied dance, passionately, over a period of almost 30 years.

The dance work was published by Graphis, Inc, in a book of photographs entitled Passion & Line.

I was preparing to do a fashion shoot with Armani designs that said to me, “Flow, gesture, movement, motion, kinetic grace.” I decided to capture motion through multiple stroboscopic flashes to show what was possible with beautiful clothing designs. It was time to turn to dance to express these qualities. And it was clear that I needed a dancer for a model, not a model for a dancer.

A question that nagged at me was, “Why can’t I get fashion models to move like dancers?“ It is fantastic working with dancers: they are quick to pick up on direction, and their transitions from one pose to the next is so fluid. For me, working with dancers is a dream, whereas even with most professional fashion models, getting movement to look just right is often quite challenging. If I were interested in pose only, fashion models are well-prepared and capable of that sort of imagery.

And, so, for a fashion shoot where movement is paramount, I needed a dancer. Beautiful fashion models who also happen to be trained dancers are rare birds, but they do exist.

Anatomy is a complicating factor. Women dancers, particularly classical ballet dancers, tend to be small, and their male partners can lift them easily. Fashion models are typically taller and, though slender, weigh more. Those who have trained in dance often give up their ballerina dreams when they become taller than even their male dance partners – especially when on point – and harder to lift. And if they are lucky enough to be beautiful and photogenic, they may choose to become models and make far more money, and suffer far less.

For the Armani shoot, I needed a dancer, a great one at that. I cast a prima ballerina for the New York City Ballet, Maria Kowroski, to fulfill my vision for these designs.

Glitterati Incoprorated, the publisher of the Retrospective, Schatz Images: 25 Years is now offering the two- book boxed set at a discount from the original price. The set comes with an 11″x14” print of the buyer’s choice. Purchase here –http://bit.ly/schatzimages25yrs

To view more of my work, visit my website.