Ballets Femme ~ Alex

Sometimes as I am working, a name or title will come to me. Ideas will simply pop in my head. Sadly, there is no shut down mode for me except when I am asleep. When a title comes to me, I think about what the project would look like.

One day, the title, Ballets Femme came to me and I sat there and wondered what on earth this would look like. At the same time, I recalled a friend who said that I should do a book on Barre Boys and have it be a part of a Duet with a female counterpart. So after thinking about it some, I decided that this series will be an edgier series then I usually do.

Ballets Femme will showcase the strength, power and beauty of the ballerina but it a much less flowery way. I don’t even think you will see a single tutu. This will be very dark and edgy? lol It will not be fairytale like or princessy. My hope with this is to also challenge myself artistically and get away from my standard high key lighting set up. I want this to be a relatively new angle for me.

So, as I am thinking about this project and who to shoot for it, I immediately thought of my friend, Alex, who dances with Ballet Arizona now. She stuck out immediately due to her physique, her legs especially. She has an amazing presence when I shoot her. Her legs, however, are amazing. Gosh that sounded creepy. lol. No but, when I shoot dancers, one of the things that makes the most impact and can elevate the intensity of an image is their muscle tone. You can see this in Alex’s legs. There is an energy through them and you can see that tone when she poses, almost like she is flexing them.

Herein, lied the problem. Alex now dances for Ballet Arizona. Arizona is not in Pennsylvania and is in fact in the southwestern part of the country, not the midwest like I thought lol. Ugh. The one person who I knew off the bat had to be part of this was not available. Well kiddies, the game changer took place when I was on Facebook last week and saw on my feed something about her coming home. I immediately messaged her on Fb and sent a text. I had to have her in studio while she was home. I was just hoping she would have time!

Since my first shoot with her and her sister, Genna, I developed a friendship with the family. Well, I haven’t met the dad yet but I think he would like me too. I grew fond of Alex and there was an energy we shared when working together. I shot her during her run at BIBC then did some fun location work in the streets of Boston. I have always tried to be as supportive of her and her career as possible and they have done likewise. I am really honored to call them friends and just am so excited to watch her career blossom!

Anyway, so I got her in for a couple of hours and I tried some new lighting on a gray drop and the results are just wonderful!!! So excited to try more out! Below are a few of her favorites from the shoot! Hope you enjoy!!!

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WERRRRRRRRRKKKK!!!!!!!!

Werrrrrk it Wednesday girls!!!!! This one is sponsored by Tutu.com!

This contest gives the winner the chance to model one of Tutu.com’s fierce, cool and uber hip leos in a professional shoot with… MOI! DUH!!!

That’s right!! You will have a full on professional photo shoot IN MY STUDIO, rocking one of tutu.com’s fun leos!! They are HAWWWWWWWWWWT! PLUS… You will be featured on Tutu.com’s FB page!!

For me, when I am shooting a ballerina, shooting them in a leo is where it is at. I enjoy the tutus,they are all pretty and what not, but that is kinda where they start and stop. Not a whole lot you can do with them. In a leo, they can DANCE! They can move. You can create so much more, so many more shapes. You can better see the lines they are able to create, in a leo. You can see their muscle definition in a leo. the shoot is guaranteed to garner way more variety and way more stunning images. It gets down to basics which is what I like about Balanchine’s leo ballets. You are stripped down to the purity of the movement. No costumes to deter from the athleticism.

please note… the above leos are NOT Tutu.Com but Eleve and were used for illustration purposes only

So, I think I have made my point there, huh? So for this contest, you will need to show us how you can WERRRRRRRRRK it!!! This is a chance to show off your skills and more so, your lines. This contest will judge more harshly or with greater scrutiny then the others. This is not a cutesy wootsy contest! You want to be on my blog, shot by me and be on Tutu.com’s FB, you betta be fierce!!!

For this one, we are looking for girls 18 and older.

You gotta come to my studio for the shoot and be willing to sign a release.

You need to be flexible with scheduling and the shoot needs to happen this month!

*** NO PRINTS ARE INCLUDED WITH THIS. THIS IS FOR MODELING ONLY!

If you have modeled for us before, you may not enter this contest.

Above all, you betta bring it and be fierce!!!

To enter, comment on the entry with what you bring. what makes you fierce? now is the time to sell yourself.

ALSO!!!!! YOU MUST EMAIL ME A PHOTO OF YOU IN A LEOTARD. WHILE WRITTEN WORD IS GREAT, WE ALSO NEED TO SEE *YOU* IN PRINT. YOU WILL BE REPRESENTING US, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU WILL DO IT WELL!

SEND EMAILS TO BRIAN@BMENGINI.COM!!!

I am shooting tomorrow night so this will be a late notice thing.

Holly Curran

Each client offers a unique experience. One I enjoy is where we can talk about different experiences, choreography and other artists. These kind of conversations allow you to connect as artists in a wonderful way. You allow yourselves to be taken to a completely different place and that is why we create is it not? These unique experiences are truly what make my job so amazing. Its such a thrill to be part of their lives and learn about them.

Holly and I have been friends on Facebook for a while and finally met when I started working with Ballet Fleming. She’s a graduate of the University of the Arts and also danced with Ballet Austin. I have shot her on stage and did a mini Tutu.Com shoot. I had donated a photo shoot to Ballet Fleming for their silent auction for Tapas. Holly was the lucky winner! That was also fun for me. Well, we finally were able to get a date set and she came in from NJ for the shoot. We had a lot of fun. We talked dance – choreo, her travels and experience, some of mine and of course, we created some fun images! It is really awesome to get to know people better, you are able to connect on a deeper level and you get to learn! This summer, she will be doing a summer residency in Montana with Ballet Montana so she wanted to get the shoot in before she left. I am glad we did!

Here are some of the images….