October 2006

Music Performances - insightphotography.smugmug.com/Music
Theatre Performances - insightphotography.smugmug.com/Theater
Dance Performances - insightphotography.smugmug.com/Dance

Katrina:The Girl Who Wanted Her Name Back, as the name implies, is about the upheaval caused by the hurricane. The story is more layered than the name implies, with several threads exploring redemption, race, family ties, death, etc. The space is a box, with the audience on four sides, making its use a challenge. I liked the manner in which the theater was used, from the floor, to the aisles, to the doorways on the highest level. Equally imaginative was the way the orchestra is used for pieces of the dialogue. Lighting is difficult in the space, but Monique Norman did an admirable job. It worked especially well with the textures of the floor. The images are a testament. The script is well paced and engaging, and it was an enjoyable production. One factor I became very aware was the vocal quality of the actors. Since the faces of the actors were not well lit a lot of the time, I became more sensitive to the use of their voices, and the quality of their work.

Ballet Austin II's Not Afraid of the Dark is a wholesome family production that is shown frequently around Texas. This was the second time I saw the show in three years, and the light sequences are as enchanting as ever. Photographing this show is challenging, since it involves long exposure at times. But it resulted in some engaging/unusual images. The best section is the light show - and the sock puppets, showing off Tony Tucci and Stephen Mills imagination. If you get an opportunity to see the show in person, I highly recommend it. Meanwhile the images will be available for viewing until December.

C.V. Chandrashekhar, commemorated the beginning of a new performing arts institution, Natyaveda, in the DFW area. I had seen him only once when he toured close to a decade ago, with the Battery Dance Company's Purush Tour. In his lower seventies, Sir gave a commanding full blown performance without an intermission. I rarely get to see males performing bharatnatyam solos. So this was a double treat to see a doyen of the Kalakshetra in wonderful form. The main item was the Natakuranji varanam, Chalamela. I was impressed by his stamina and form. His abhinaya is more subtle than most dancers. It was a worthwhile trip to see a master who still has the magic. He gave some remarkable images, which can be viewed in the dance gallery until December.

Austin Dance Umbrella presents unique performances, usually in the modern/contemporary style, several times annually. 10 Minutes Max is the second show I photographed for them this year - and it was an interesting mix of modern styles. Groups from Austin and Houston were given...yes you guessed it... 10 min....to showcase their works. Some opted to break up the time into two pieces, while most opted to go with a single piece. The repertory was an interesting one - from Sarah Harris's visceral piece, to Jessica Lindberg's recreation of Loie Fuller's Fire Dance.

Houston Ballet's Dracula was the first work of Mr. Stevenson, that I had difficulty photographing and appreciating. The sets, costumes, lighting were wonderful - as expected from Houston Ballet's productions, but the choreography did not touch me. The pacing dragged a little for my taste. This is not to say that the performance did not have its moments. The production quality was amazing, flying was nicely done, the vocabulary of Dracula's minion fit the character very well, and some of the PPDs were engaging. Perhaps I had too high an expectation - having heard so much about the production.

Coming up - Tapestry World of Dance, Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance, Texas Ballet Theater Gala, second take on Blue Lapis Light's Requiem, and several other productions.

September 2006

Summer Stock Austin is an innovative annual project that brings talent from the high schools of Austin and college students from across the country. They work with professional acting coaches, directors, choreographers, lighting designer, costume designers, and production staff. This year's productions were more polished and ambitious than last year. Neil Simon's Proposals, West Side Story, and Stinky Cheese Man and other Stupid Tales were showcased at the Mary Moody Theater. The space is challenging to direct in and photograph. The proscenium is a square with stadium seating, including eight entrances and four additional corner spaces for performance. The performer at times are barely 1-2 feet away from audience members. My favorite in the series was Proposals. The acting was strong, the play well directed, and nicely paced. West Side Story did not touch me. I am not sure what the problem was - whether the musical itself did not appeal to me or it was the specific production. A lot of the talent was impressive, but I cannot put my finger on why this modern day Romeo Juliet did not do it for me. This is the second time I photographed performances in this venue, and it gave me an opportunity to hone my skills further. The dance sequences were almost impossible to capture properly. The positive aspect is that this space allows for unusual images that have a very intimate feel. Photos are available for viewing in the theatre gallery.

Musicals (with dance) are perhaps the most challenging theatrical events to produce, perform in, and photograph. My respect for the performers reached a new level once I realized how talented one had to be-an actor, singer, and dancer...and sometimes all three at the same time! Similarly photographically, both theatrical and dance skills come into play. I have photographed the Zilker Theater Productions summer musicals for the past three years. The new faces were a pleasure see - a very talented bunch. These are the best images I have taken of their productions. The new camera and lenses contributed to the dynamic images. The high production values and talent, of course, are the main reason for the wonderful photos of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, in the theatre gallery.

Galas, Dance Festivals, and Showcases are some of my favorite performances to photograph. Perhaps it is due to my interest in buffets - where the goal is not to binge, but savor a variety flavors in a single meal. The International Stars of the Cuban Ballet Gala was the first Gala I experienced. I rarely get to see such high caliber dancers in a single show. Additionally, I was unfamiliar with most of the rep. So it was double the pleasure. Ben Stevenson's Prelude made a very strong impact on me. The manner in which he explored lines and relationships between the dancers using a barre was very engaging. The Don Q PDD, Swan Lake's Black Swan PDD, Le Corsaire PDD, and Carnival in Venice were my favorites in the program. I missed one couple/piece since they arrived the day after the dress rehearsal. I do not get to experience Christina Gianelli's original work often enough. Her color palette and textures gave a wonderful dimension to the visual treat of the production. My only quip was that the Dress rehearsal was treated more like a tech, I had to dispose a high number of images because the male dancers were not in costume in several pieces. A more detailed review of the show can be found at www.ballet-dance.com. Photos can be viewed for a couple of months in my dance gallery.

Houston Ballet's 2006-2007 season has a large number of premiers. The opening consisted of a mixed rep of works by Hans van Manen, Glen Tetley, and Stanton Welch. Grosse Fuge was perhaps my favorite piece. Set in a completely white set (including the wings), the focus of the piece was the interaction between four male and four female dancers. It is an interesting psychological piece. The mood and aesthetics reminded a great deal of Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land. Glen Tetley's Voluntaries was a complex piece of work on several levels (emotional, choreography, sophistication). I was surprised how "modern"/timeless the piece was, considering it was choreographed in 1973. The piece is very layered from the spacing and dance prospective. Several actions take place in different parts of the stage, making the appreciation more difficult. I got a better understanding of the piece, the second time I saw it. I am sure I will appreciate it more the more I see it. The costume, set, and lighting were wonderful. I was surprised at some of the similar (and distinct) vocabulary between Grosse Fuge and Voluntaries. I also recognized some very beautiful moments in the PDDs and their strong connection to the Swan Lake signature moments. The manner in which Mr. Tetly uses lines is marvelous. The still images attest to it. Sara Webb and Conner Walsh were an enthralling team. This was the most difficult piece to photograph. Brigade, by Mr. Welch was a much lighter piece, completely with a classical foundation. Once again there was a connection of foreground and background layering. It was a very engaging piece - humorous, fun, and full of energy. I am sorry images from the show cannot be shown due to contractual obligations, but keep an eye on the Chronicle, Dance Magazine, and the New York Times for some photos. If you see this blog in time, a more authorative review from the NY Times can be read here. The Houston Chronicle reviews are here and here.

August 2006

July was a surprisingly busy month. Therefore a significant number of images will overflow into August.

Steve Tomlinson's American Fiesta, was an interesting experience. Keeping and audience engaged for 90 minutes of monologue is no easy feat. The dialogue and delivery - weaving history, human behavior behavior, obsession, symbolism, and of course...Fiestaware, was fascinating. The staging also made me think of ways to make the performance images interesting. I am moderately pleased with the photos.

The World Premier of Austin's newest dance company, the American Repertory Ensemble, was an absolute treat on several fronts. This company is unique - offering both live music and dance together. Additionally, the quality of the dancers was exceptional. How could it not be.... with dancers from professional ballet companies across the country...Ballet Austin, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theater. Each of the five dance pieces (with and without Pointe), each had a very unique feel. The display of the broad spectrum of different styles of movement, and the variety in choreography kept me glued to the whole performance. The manner of exploring the wide array of emotions was very engaging. I got a chance to recapture two pieces I had photographed before, but with a different set of dancers. Solumn Opus, the piece from ACDFA, performed at the Kennedy Center and the second was the Tchaikovsky PDD by Balanchine. Both were an educational experience on how the same choreography performed/interpreted by different dancers could have a different feel. After the Austin show, the group was featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for several runs. Artistic directors David Justin (Dance) and Rob Deemer (Music) have brought fresh and high caliber art to the dance world. I wish them the best in their journey. Visit their web site at www.americanrepensemble.org. More knowledgeable folks than I have detailed their impressions at the following links:
www.austin360.com/, www.austinist.com/, lightning.austin360blogs.com/, and www.austinchronicle.com/.

I has been more than a year since I experienced a performance of KDH Dance Company. And Then There were Twelve, their latest offering had three pieces. The opening and the finale were my favorites. The way lines were used in contemporary/modern for was interesting. The choreography was more structured than what I remember from the last performance. Houstonians can look forward to the company at the Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance in September.

Guru Bichitrananda Swain's troupe Rudrakshya is touring the USA for the first time. I had seen his group when they were with the Odissi Dance Academy a few years ago. There were several new faces in this group. The quality of the choreography is as appealing as ever. Two of the pieces were the same from the 2003 show, but it was a pleasure to see them once more. The dancers were of high quality - beautiful form. Some of the minor stylistic differences between the dancers was more obvious this time. The proscenium was a little small for the size of the group, but they seemed to space well. Photography was a challenge since I was a just a few feet away from the performers. The group will be in the country until mid September. Let friends and family know of their visit. More information can be found at http://rudrakshya.com/.

Coming up - Austin's newest dance company, American Repertory Ensemble's Dialogues, Zilker Theatre's Summer Musical, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, Stars of the Cuban Ballet, Austin Summer Stock West Side Story, Proposals, and Stinky Cheese Man, and finally the play American Fiesta.

Images from these shows and the compilation galleries can be viewed until September at insightphotography.smugmug.com/Dance and insightphotography.smugmug.com/Theater.

July 2006

Sally Jacques's forte is site specific work. Her company, Blue Lapis Light sets dance in spaces such as warehouses, bridges, building lobbies, etc. Their latest opus was set in the Intel Building Shell in downtown Austin. The dancers were dwarfed by the immense building, and audience members needed binoculars to see the details of the choreography. Lighting was a challenge for Jason Amato as well. Technically and conceptually, the performance was unique and engaging. For me most elements worked, but a few aspects were difficult to appreciate when action was taking place in multiple areas of the building simultaneously. Photography was a challenge for a variety of reasons - in terms of lighting, spacing, framing, etc. There are lots of interesting possibilities, had I had more opportunities and access to different parts of the building. Photos of the space and performance are ready for viewing in the dance gallery until August 2006.

The first time I saw Don Quixote, it was apparent that it was a skeleton story - with an excuse to dance. The original story seems to have a lot of physiological depth, which I find missing in the ballet. However, from a photographer's prospective, it is a treat - due to its dynamic choreography and small corps work. Houston Ballet's version, choreographed by Ben Stevenson, was the first performance I experienced live. It is the most lavish production I have see (including the three DVD productions). I am sorry, that the contract with Houston Ballet does not permit me to show the photos. But I assure you they were wonderful like the production.

The North American Bengali conference is an annual gathering of people from the state of West Bengal. It was a feast of culture for three days. I went just of enjoy myself. I managed to control my urge to photograph the first two days. But the third day presented too tempting an offer to resist, and I captured six genres over four hours, missing lunch.

The 150 galleries of past productions I have photographed over the past couple of years have been removed from public viewing. But I have consolidated some of the 5000 images into three small galleries by genre. I plan to keep the compilations updates by removing and adding images on an irregular basis. Also new galleries will only be housed for a short time. Expect the number of images from each production to reduce as well. Shows from April will be removed by August.

Guru Bichitrananda Swain's group will be performing in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Houston in the end of July and first week of August. They are a wonderful set of dancers with excellent forms and coordination. I was very impressed with the last two times I saw and photographed them. I have posted some images from these shows for a couple of weeks in the gallery titled "Dancers of Rudrakshya" Try and catch them live in your city.

Austin has experienced Thaddeus Davis's choreographic talents in 2005 at Ballet Austin's Director's Choice. He also was the Judge's favorite in the 2006 New American Talent competition. This time, we got to see him dance in a new piece, thanks to Dance Umbrella. The full version of the work will be presented in February 2007. But meanwhile you can view moments from this unique Dance Theatre in the dance gallery.

Coming up: Zilker Theater Production's Summer Musical Extravaganza 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, KDH Dance's And then there were 12, and Austin's Newest Dance Company - American Repertory Ensemble.

Photos from the performances can be seen at insightphotography.smugmug.com/Dance.

June 2006

June has been a relatively quiet month, but with some interesting projects. It has given much needed time to focus (no pun) on other aspects of photography and massage, especially on the business end.

The month began with Ballet Under the Stars at the Zilker Hillside Theatre. This is an annual show produced by Artistic Director Arletta Howard-Logan's Austin Dance Ensemble. Her group has some of the best (collectively as a group) female classical ballet dancers in Austin, in my opinion, other than the Ballet Austin Academy. It was a pleasure to see some of my favorite dancers from last year once more. Unfortunately, the lighting plot at the Zilker was difficult to appreciate - both from an aesthetic as well as photography prospective. Nevertheless the graceful form of the dancers came through in some photos.

I have not photographed high caliber bharatnatyam dancers since the Fall of 2005. Therefore the presentation of Bhaaratha Samudhaayam Vazhgave, in San Antonio was a treat. This ballet was a compilation of compositions by the renowned, turn of the 20th century, South Indian poet, Bharathiyar. Themes from his muse Goddess, to the equality of women, as well as patriotism were explored. The dancers were trained by some of the best dancers in this genre, and did credit to the teachers. Each had their strength, and the performance was very enjoyable. I am a fan of several of the choreographers as well. It was a pleasure to capture them though the lens.

This was the first time I attended the Big Range Dance Festival (bigrange.org). Unfortunately I could only experience Program B. The Barnavelder, which hosts the festival) is an intimate space for a performance. Subtle body movements and detailed facial expressions, usually lost in larger venues, are very easy to see. As an audience member, one can connect with a dancer more intimately I feel. I have not had the opportunity to shoot here very often, but the photographs from this space have a very different feel. It allows for unusual angles and which suits contemporary/modern dance forms well, but at the expense of a lower yield of shots due to volatile spacing between the camera and dancers. Most of the pieces (or parts of) Program B appealed to me. There were a few performances that I wanted to see in Program A and C, but was unable to do so. I regret missing FLY's final performance before their retirement.

Photos from these performances can be seen in the June Summary gallery at http://insightphotography.smugmug.com/Dance.

I will write about some of the other performances in June soon. They include Blue Lapis Light's Requiem, Houston Ballet's Don Quixote,
Texas Youth Dance Council's Performance, and Thaddeus Davis's performance in Austin. Additionally, I have also completed a slide show summarizing my portfolio. More on that later.

May 2006 Entry

Since May is Dance Month, I created a gallery of several dance genres and dancers across the world. I also plan to remove most of the 138 dance galleries from the Dance section by then end of June. Only performances from the last two months will be on display.

The following performances have been added to the Dance Gallery, or will appear by May 30th
Tanjore Performing Arts Student Spring Recital
Austin Community College Spring Showcase
Texas Ballet Theater's Cinderella
Ballet Austin's Romeo Juliet
Ballet Austin Academy Spring Recital
The Rimers of Eldritch (Play in the Theatre Gallery)
Texas Ballet Theater Academy Spring Recital
Romeo and Juliet by Dominic Walsh Dance Theater
Radha Madhava, a ballet, based on Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Kuchipudi styles of Indian Classical Dance forms

April 2006 Entry

April has been an exciting month, busy closing up past projects and shooting, fewer but longer projects. Photographing a dance instruction book, was followed by my favorite Texas dance festival - Dance Salad. 11 companies based in several European countries, China, and the USA performed 14 pieces. I look forward to dance festivals eagerly, due to the opportunity to experience variety of choreographers, dance styles, and skilled dancers. I invariably learn something new about the art, behind the scenes drama, and technical aspects of photography. This is the third year I shot Dance Salad, and the photos have a different feel than last year. William Pedro was the most captivating dancer in Béjart Ballet Lausanne(Switzerland)'s La Barre. A very engaging dancer - exquisite form and movement. And only 17 years old I am told.

This was the first time I got to photograph a Ballet Austin Academy performance. Excerpts from Paquita were my favorite. It was also interesting to see works by Reggie Harris and Michelle Thompson (the Ballet Mistress and Associate Artistic Director of BA) for the first time. Gina Patterson's works was also featured by BA II.

Tapestry's Swinging Then and Now was challenging shoot as usual. Tap moments are difficult to capture, and Jason Amato's high contrast lighting looks dynamic on stage, but is difficult to expose well. Nevertheless I was pleased with a few of the shots. The dance photos are at Photos are at insightphotography.smugmug.com/Dance.

The Sarah Butler Opera Center presented the Dialogue of the Carmelites. A synopsis can be found here. It is always fascinating on how lighting Designer, Kathryn Eader and set designer Christopher McCollum create the ambiance with such limited space at the McCullough. Some of the images are at insightphotography.smugmug.com/Theater. I have posted the full set from St. Stephen's theatre focus production of 42nd Street as well.

A week was spent at the Annual Texas School. This is the largest school of its kind....and an interesting experience. Around 950 photographers were educated by 30+ renowned photographers. I spent a week with Dwayne Lee, a wedding photographer from Arlington, and several other peers from Texas (and a few other states). Dwayne was very generous with his knowledge, and has helped advance my technical and aesthetic skills.

The May issue of Dance Magazine has a review of Houston Ballet's new production of Swan Lake, by Stanton Welch. One photo, taken by me, of Marcelo Gomes and Sara Webb, at the final Dress rehearsal appears in the review. HB limits access to images of their dancers. So this is a rare treat, even if the color in the image, is yellowish for some reason.

March 2006 Photo Blog

March provided a great deal of variety - and several unique experiences in Modern, Jazz, Ballet, and Flamenco.

The month began with Spankdance's Greyhounds and Other Virtual Ways to Travel. The photographic challenge was the space and low lighting. Dance Houston Does Houston was an interesting project, with several choreographers tying in a storyline involving Houston and Houstonians (including mosquitoes and mosquito hawks). ACDFA provided a wonderful opportunity to experience a variety of styles and choreography in a few days. I do not get the opportunity to shoot such so many performances and moods in such a short time. A great time to test/explore new techniques as well.

Ballet San Antonio and the San Antonio Jazz Ensemble presented an appropriately mixed repertory titled, Entangled, at the Carver. It was very refreshing to see Classical Ballet for the first time this year. The company is an impressive one, especially considering the size. Immediately following was Academia de Arte Flamenco 'Historias Flamencas". I rarely get to see this genre, and this is the third time I shot Flamenco. It was a wonderful program, repeating Olivia Chacon's First Night Austin commissioned program, "De Noche", which I had missed capturing in December 2005. Several solos, including the captivating Antonio Granjero from Spain graced the second half of the program.

Ballet Austin's Directors Choice provides some wonderful visual treat as well. It was a "then and now" program. Stephen Mill's and Gina Patterson's first Ballet Austin commissions complimented their latest works in a single evening. The month ended with Atash's Global Harmony show, including belly dancing. It was a rare treat as I do not get the chance to shoot music and belly dancers often. Although I missed Ad Deum's performance this month, some of the pieces they performed can be viewed in the Dance gallery titled "Wondrous Beasts" from last Fall.

April, although the International Dance Month, in some ways should be a quieter month.I will miss 4 interesting presentations due to training. Please note that the March photos are being staggered for viewing, as time becomes available, and artistic directors give their approval. So please revisit if you do not find the photos. Visit the Music and Dance galleries at http://insightphotography.smugmug.com

February 2006 Photo Blog

February's highlights include photos from Ballet Austin's first New Talent Competition. ProArts Collective put up a series of shows for Black History Month, including the Washington Reflections Dance Company's dancers, who have beautiful lines. The University of Texas at Austin's Dance Department presented a very cartoon bookish, yet classy production at the Brockett Theatre. The colorful production of Changuita Perla is available for viewing. It replaces the Metropolitan's Classical Ballet's performance as my current featured dance gallery. Theatre galleries are updated less often. But February had two excellent production - St. Stephen's Theatre Focus presented the extravaganza of 42nd Street. UTA's Sarah and Ernest Butler Opera Center's premier of The Scarecrow was a visual treat as usual. All photos can be found at http://insightphotography.smugmug.com/

Community events by the Alvin Ailey Company and the Grammy Nominated Dave Douglas can be found at http://utpac.org in their community relations section. Attend live performances! Photos do not do justice. March will include performances from Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.