Dance photography: Win Free Photos and Photo Session!

Last week, I was honored to be photographed by an amazingly talented photographer, Agnes Muljadi, owner of artsychameleon. Agnes is not only a skilled artist, she is also a classical ballet dancer which means she knows just what the camera (and the audience) wants to see.

There are lots of reasons to have a pro take your dance pictures. A quality photo serves so many purposes: Agnes took mine for promotion of my classes so I would have a sophisticated image for flyers, websites, etc. I wanted my students to be able to point to my picture and say, "That's who I take class from" and be proud. And I wanted it to be current. I can't tell you how many times I have taken a class and expected to see the teacher whose fab photo was used to promote it - and then that person turns out to be about fifty years older! Ha!

As a choreographer, you might want a photographer to take pics of dress rehearsals or shows or workshops. Studios and dance teams want portraits or group photos for promotion or yearbooks. Young dancers need headshots for auditions and applications. As an older dancer, you may simply want to show off your hard work. And what better way to do it than with a high-quality photo?

When Agnes and I were in the studio, she asked me to pose in various ways that I felt comfortable in, yet showed off certain aspects of my body or abilities. She also asked me to do some movement that she could capture in a still shot. As a skilled photographer, she knew when to snap the camera while I was moving. From my point of view, it was very easy - and felt very glamorous. There's nothing like having a person tell you how good something that you're doing looks!

Here are three of the photos Agnes took last week. She edited them, of course, to enhance the lines and angles of my body within the frame (and in some cases, she Photoshopped out things in the background that she didn't like).




And now, the contest! As a special bonus to all of you, Agnes is offering two specials through my blog:

1. One free photo session. In order to qualify for the giveaway, first "like" Agnes' Facebook page (listed below) and then leave a comment letting her know you found her through my blog. Example: "Leigh sent me," "Found you through Leigh's blog," etc. On Monday, April 4th, Agnes will do a random drawing and 1 person gets a photo session and about 3-5 retouched images for FREE.

Please note, the session does not need to be dance-related. Take a look at Agnes' work on her website and you'll see the variety of subjects she shoots. And just try to tear your eyes away from the pictures!

2. 20% off session fee for any kind of session, exclusively for people who heard about Agnes through my blog. For those of you who enter the contest and don't win, here's a great alternative. But be sure to mention my name when you contact her.

Here is her info for the contest:
Agnes' Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/artsychameleon
Agnes' website: http://www.artsychameleon.net/

Male Voices, Episode #2: Acceptance

The second episode in the online series about young male dancers from Rhee Gold and DanceLife TV. This one is about the importance of a father's support of his son's dancing. Enjoy!

What do my classes look like?

Ever wonder what one of my classes looks like? Or what I look like when I'm teaching? Well, here are a few photos to give you some idea. This is my adult beg/int class at Le Studio in Pasadena. We are dancing in the downstairs studio which is the biggest of the 3 studios there:

Male Voices dance series

Rhee Gold, a very well-known and respected dance instructor who owns The Gold School and who has some amazing resources for dancers and dance teachers, has produced this online series about young male dancers and what they go through.

This first episode is called "Confessions," and like most reality shows, introduces us to the young men we will be seeing in the series. They discuss why they started dancing and how hard it's been to be on the receiving end of criticism and teasing from others. Many girls forget that boys have to overcome that obstacle in order to pursue dance. As hard as it is for us to get to class, to pay for class, to struggle through class, we rarely have to fight the prejudice and stereotypes that are pinned on boys who dance.

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next episode.