Ballet dancers warmup on stage at El Museo del Barrio.
Ballet Hispanico ~ Bailando por Una Causa, 10.4.11
Dancers performing on stage at Museo del Barrio during last night’s program, “Bailando Por Una Causa.” Proceeds and awareness from this special world dance event support the Latino Commission on AIDS - a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino Community since 1995.
Artists from left to right: Peridance Contemporary Company performing “Paloma Triste,” Djoniba Dance Centre - “Joneeba African Dance,” Ballet Hispanico’s BH squared - “Club Havana (2000).”
There was one other photographer at Tuesday’s performance - she was taking pictures for the Times. While I tried to play it cool and not gush we actually ended up chatting! We empathized over the extremely low light and how difficult it was to shoot and when a part in the play came up where there was an ear piercing BANG! we looked at each other in shock and laughed a bit at how creepy (creepy- WONDERFUL!) this play is.
And as we were leaving I got the courage up to talk to her a bit more. I asked her if she was staff or freelance for the Times (A: freelance) and also if she had any advice for me to move my career ahead (seriously, I am a lot more SHY than most people realize so that took courage!!) and she told me I just need to keep developing my portfolio and that it’s also all about gaining access.
Then she smiled and took my card and I told her I would be looking out for her photos in the paper. It was fun working alongside and talking shop with someone who’s doing the kind of work I hope to be doing and I appreciated her taking a few moments to give me a little encouragement - it made my day!
On Tuesday my nonprofit job had me photographing the tech run of Siti Company’s new show, “Radio Macbeth,” which opened Tuesday night and runs until the 16th.
While taking pictures of the the performance I discovered something that I kind of already knew, but haven’t had much opportunity for just yet - I absolutely LOVE to photograph theater and stage performances!!! I really love it so much. I mean, this show in particular is a creepy play about actors performing in an ABANDONED THEATER (love!!!) but also everything else about the stage - the actors, the costumes, the lighting, the drama - my camera and I are big, big fans. I really hope to do more of this in the future!!!
All my photos from the performance are on flickr !
And info. about the show from Siti.org in case you are interested:
“Late at night in the guts of an abandoned Theater, actors gather to rehearse a radio
play. Darkness plays tricks on their minds making the imagination churn, and the
ghosts that have haunted the story since the play’s inception flicker and glow.”
