You may have seen dancers post photos on various social media sites and wondered what that’s all about! Well, today I’m here to break it down for you, let you know why we have a photoshoot, how it all happens, and all the in between. To give you the information in the simplest way I know possible, we are breaking it down grade-school style…

WHO?

All of the company members going into the next season are involved in a photoshoot. Trey Alexander, our resident costume designer, decides what outfits we wear based on what Kia Smith, our Executive Artistic Director, wants the vision of the photoshoot to be. Kia is present the entire time helping us dancers pose while Michelle Reid, our amazing photographer, captures the magic on camera!

WHAT?

A photoshoot, of course! Kia’s vision (usually a color scheme or mood for the upcoming season) is brought to life through photographs of us dancers!

WHERE?

Michelle brings her backgrounds wherever we need to go. We’ve done photoshoot shoots at her studio before, but this one in particular we needed more space for so we did it at Links Hall!

WHEN?

Typically, we have a photoshoot prior to the announcement of the next season so as to have photos ready to go! We’ve also done them leading up to a performance or a big show that requires lots of advertisement!

WHY?

To advertise and showcase our company’s talent! Photographs capture who is on the company, their strengths and abilities, and are one of the more exciting ways to get the word out there. When posting on social media or announcing where we will be on tour, Kia generally uses our photoshoot captures to make the post or announcement more eye-catching! In addition, when we perform somewhere, they need our photographs for program covers, ads, announcements, posters, etc.

HOW?

All of us dancers get together for a 4-5 hour day in which we warm-up, stretch, and take dance photos with Michelle! Some people may have to repeat a certain jump or leg extension over and over again until Michelle gets the perfect shot at the perfect angle with our most perfect dance technique! In other scenarios, we might improvise or dance however we would like in front of the camera so that Michelle can receive some “in motion” shots!

So, if you didn’t know yet…now you know! That’s the break down of a day at a photoshoot and how it all happens! We can’t wait for you to see our new photographs!!