Rehearsals 1

divamum · November 8, 2009

I'd thought of doing a little photo essay for myself during this gig; while I am shooting, I've had nothing like as much time as I'd expected - the role is substantial and not easy to sing while fulfilling the character and staging demands (especially since this is my first time singing it) and has thus required my 120% attention during my own rehearsals.

However, I had the afternoon free yesterday while they worked with the kids' chorus and the ballet, so I decided to wander over a shoot for a little while. It's not quite what I was hoping for, which is to capture the curious mixture of terminal boredom and high energy which are always combined in a rehearsal room (in this case a large, dance studio with zillions of windows and tons of natural light - what a luxury for those of us used to working in big, closed arts centers with cinder block and fluorescents!).

We move into the theater today which will be an entirely different atmosphere again, but I'm glad I managed to catch these few shots; there will be more, I hope (assuming the week progresses well and I don't need to put the photographer entirely aside duringi the process)

1 Waiting for the next cue
(Yeah, I know ballet feet is done all the time, but it never ceases to fascinate me, especially when they're all in their sweats and practice shoes

)

2. Maestro at work

3 The Production Table
(I wish I could've got more of the players on the "stage" area into the reflection, but the angle just wouldn't work for me - given that this was a working rehearsal and I was taking pictures for my own enjoyment rather than "officially", I didn't want to move around and be a distraction, especially since it was crowded and with kids ANY movement grabs their attention away from where it needs to be!)

Flyinggina · November 8, 2009

:lurk

What a good project!! I do hope that you are able to continue with it. You have an insider's view and can capture part of the show biz drama that most of us never see.

I find myself wishing, especially with ##2 & 3, that there was more dof. Maybe not possible with the light and everything, but there isn't quite enough in focus to hold my interest for long.

In #2, you might try brightening the conductor's face a bit. And maybe burning the wood in the foreground.

Can't wait to see more.

And "break a leg" !! Or, as the French say just before one goes on stage, "Merde!"

Virginia

Virginia

rteest42 · November 8, 2009

I like! My daughter took 12 years of dance...pre-digital, alas. I would have loved to simply haunt the studio and capture all those girls endlessly...

I like the low saturation in the other two images.... there is a quality, an energy that is very appealing, especially in the second...
Clicking on your blog, I see you are in VA...is that where you live or are you here for performances only? (I can't say Im much into opera, but I live south of the James!)

Thanks for sharing!
Trish

lizzard_nyc · November 8, 2009

Divamum,
I really like #2 "Maestro at Work" even alone I think it would work, as part of a series even better.

Looking forward to the additions to this series, it's a great peek at a world I'm unfamiliar with.

#3 is the only one that doesn't work for me.

rutt · November 8, 2009

Shots in the ballet studio are hard. You often have to shoot for days to get a few good ones. I don't know about this production, but at Boston Ballet, it's really a no-no to show images which don't show the dancers in perfect form. So shooting in the studio, almost by definition is frustrating. I spent quite a few days in the ballet studio in the winter/spring of 2006. You can see what I got here. I've always wanted to connect these moments with the finished performances, but I think that will have to wait for another cycle of rehearsal/performance when I know the dances better than I did then.

#2 has something, but maybe not a winner.

rainbow · November 8, 2009

These are fun to look at. Ballet feet are maybe done all the time, but you gotta have one of your own.

(And someone like me has seen very few of these since I am not a patron of these arts).

The other two do capture a sense of the seriousness of the rehearsals -- no nonsense. I actually like the reflections in the second one.

And if you hold your camera up a lot, then you will cease to be a distraction as others will just get used to it, especially if you post for them to see themselves.

Thanks for sharing. Hope we get to see an essay down the road!

divamum · November 8, 2009

Thanks all.

@Virginia - I agree with you. These aren't really what photographer-me hoped to capture, but because singer-me has seriously needed to concentrate, I just haven't been able to put the same kind of energy into the picture-taking as I might if that was my main focus. I hope that as a *series* it may (may) hang together eventually... assuming I have the energy to do any more. It may even turn into a multi-show project; it's kind of fun to think of it as a longer term set, perhaps....

We'll see.

@rteest - no, just here for the duration. If it's local to you by all means come on down and see the show next Sunday! I'm sure tickets are available. Wonderful cast, and this community is really showing passion for opera. Early days for the company still, but I think they stand a chance of becoming something very special if enough people show the flag and support them as they continue to grow.

@Rutt - fortunately since this isn't strictly speaking about the dancers (the ballet is but one scene in the opera) and they're young students rather than pros I don't think there's any particular restrictions (nor have I heard that in other contexts - although I've made a note to myself in case I ever shoot any other dancers!!). THAT SAID .. my own instinct was to only pick shots to post that I thought the participants wouldn't object to if they ever saw them. I had some other shots of the dance itself, but didn't think they did justice to the girls or the choreographic shapes. That's one of the reasons I chose the faceless-feet, and ones that are obviously in between actual dancing.

@rainbow - I think your comment about being a constant camera presence is true... IF you're there as a photographer, or just an observer. Given I'm here as a singer, it attracts attention no matter WHAT I do, so I tend to err on the side of less rather than more. It's funny - after a year where photography has been more dominant in my life, it almost feels strange to have to "apologise" for it again!

Rehearsals 1

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