Top Young Irish And Contemporary Dancers from Ireland Share Their Passion | Dance Photography
Elegant, energetic, dramatic dance photography is a visual treat and a capture of movement. It is a celebration of an art form that is as old as life itself.
Showing off dancers passion with outdoor dance photography
I have started my journey of photographing dancers a few years ago, as I got more and more involved and dedicated to the growth of my girls as Irish dancers. They are training for 5 years and the past two have been really intense. Seeing how much of determination, physical training, passion it takes, made me wanna capture it, show it off!! Seeing traditional Irish dance photos on a grey dusty background with the trophy in hand was just not enough. The achievement is worth way more. So I have plunged myself into dance photography with a passion.
I will be sharing some quotes in this blog from the dancers I have photographed over these few years.
“I am the happiest when I am dancing, and I feel so proud to be part of the culture of Irish Dance. I can not wait to learn new steps and dance on stage....”
“My biggest achievements from dancing is definitely winning three word titles in 2014 , 2015 and 2016 . It makes me feel so proud remembering them and looking back on pictures and videos from that time . I will never forget them three special years . ”
“I love to dance for so many reasons . The best part is probably the friends you make and the memories but also the feeling of freedom and accomplishment it gives me and as soon as I hear that music play I just can’t wait to start . It has also given me so many great opportunities and career paths for the future .
My mam always says to me “always do your best and you can’t do anymore””
Outdoor dance photography: a backdrop to celebrate their passion
Since the day we (me and my girls) decided to get up early and drive to Glendalough for our little shoot I couldn’t stop thinking about photographing more dancers!
And the variety of locations we have here in Ireland is inspiring!
My ultimate goal is to be able to capture each dancer - whatever level she/he is - in the best way and at the best angle. To find that sweet spot where everything just works as a celebration of all that hard work and passion.
“My biggest achievement until now is winning the World Championships! I’ll never forget standing on the first place box holding my globe, thinking to myself ‘I finally did it, this is my moment!’ All my hard work and dedication had payed off. It was such an emotional roller coaster for me. It was the best feeling ever. I’d love to relive it over and over.
“Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” - my dance teacher sent me this quote the day I won the Worlds, and it will forever be my favourite quote. It has a very special meaning to me! ”
“The biggest dream of my dance career is to perform with some of the biggest dance troops as I love being in the limelight dancing and performing. I also want to do my teachers in Irish dance, ballet and acro and maybe in trapeze dance , then opening my own dance school sometime in the future. I am at the moment studying dance physiotherapy and have a few other ideas up my sleeve to get me through lock down. ”
What if it rains during an outdoor dance photoshoot?
The weather in Ireland can be very uncooperative, to say the least. It can change in an instant, so this is the biggest challenge when planning a dance photo session. This is also one of the most asked questions.
If you are adventurous and brave enough why not do in the rain, right? This would make some stunning portraits. And if not all that comfortable with the rain, we can always reschedule or wait it out.
“What I find most challenging in my dance life is trying to stay motivated. Especially with it being such a crazy, challenging year, it can be hard at times practicing and training knowing that there are no competitions coming up, but constantly reminding myself of my goals for 2021 and how much I love to dance will always keep me going.
“Mindset is what separates the best from the rest””
“I love when I’m dancing! My mind is clear , there is nothing else only me in that moment . I love that when I perform on the stage and am really happy with how I have danced that all the hard work, the falls and missed clicks etc all fade away, I am completely happy and fulfilled in that moment . ”
“The hardest for me to master was spins, I just couldn’t do them without getting dizzy or falling over afterwards. I literally fell over for a month then all of a sudden I got them and now I love them, especially when I do a triple spin on my blocks. I love it !!
” Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard ”
A dance photoshoot for all levels of dancers
Wherever you are on your dance journey, if you love it, that alone is halfway. Having the help and support from parents, friends and the guidance from the trainers and teachers will take you that much further. And then a little push just when it is really really hard! And you are there…
You are there already, living the dream, dancing the dance!
“The biggest achievement until now would probably be representing Ireland in Dance World Cup 2019 in Portugal. When I look back on all the memories I feel excited, nervous and overjoyed. I remember the adrenaline before I performed, it was such an incredible feeling standing on an international stage.
”If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.””
I feel so grateful everyday being able to capture such beauty. It fills me up with joy and pride knowing what it took and still takes to be a dancer, a performer.
It is a collective achievement that should be displayed for everyone to see.
I am proud to call myself a dance mum and honored to capture the passion of dance.
Write me a line if you would like to plan a dance session for yourself or your child. We can chat about ideas location and clothing. Planning imagining and looking forward to something exiting feels so wonderful too.
You can fill out the contact from here