Gabriella Yudenich – Pennsylvania Ballet Soloist – Maternity

It had been a long desire of mine to do a maternity shoot on pointe. Ballerinas are beautiful. They are graceful and elegant. An expecting mother is also beautiful. She may not feel that way most of the time, but to be with child is an amazing thing. “Mothers to be” possess a certain glow. They are part of a miraculous process. They are creating life. You look at a pregnant mother and you can’t help but smile. Well, at least if you are already a parent, you can’t. You know how much joy their life will be full of as a result of this spirit they are carrying. Plus, the time leading up to the birth is such a fun and exciting time for them and the family, apart from pains, discomfort, morning sickness and odd cravings.

Sorry, I think I went on a rant there. Anyway, because of the above stated things, there is a joy in maternity shoots. It allows the mother to have this life changing period of time documented. I always felt that maternity on pointe would make for some dynamic photos. One thing that didn’t really dawn on me until talking to Gabby at this shoot was just how special it is to capture a dancer’s maternity period DURING her career.

I had just completed my first en pointe maternity shoot with Fang from Koresh Dance Company when I approached Gabby about doing one. We had talked before about working together. However, it can be a daunting tasking trying to schedule around a professional dancer’s schedule. Throw in that dancer being pregnant and boy oh boy, good luck Charlie! So, it was a pleasant surprise almost when she agreed to the shoot and we kept up on communication!

Going into the shoot, I had really little communication or encounters with Gabby. We had never met and only communicated on Facebook a small handful of times. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had always heard such wonderful things about her. However, with little exchange with her myself, I really could not get any kind of read. I mean she was always pleasant when I did correspond with her.

So, we compared schedules and set up our date and time which happened relatively easily. I think with her being in her third trimester and not actively dancing, just doing a party parent in Nutcracker, it makes it easier. I will take it!

The day of the shoot came and I arrived to the studio early to set up and prepare physically and mentally as I always do. Ok. As I always try to do and sometimes actually do. Also, as normal, when I have morning shoots, I usually run to the coffee shop down the corner from the studio for some java to keep me up. This day was no different. However, as I was turning around to walk out of the shop, I saw a woman flash (speed, not the other way. get your mind out of the gutter) by with a bag in her hand. Although she seemed to be keeping a faster pace then I would anticipate someone who is pregnant, she had the look or blur of a dancer. Sure enough, it was her!

We greeted and hustled up into the studio to start chatting and begin work. I was really caught off guard by how bubbly and almost silly she was. She was very fun – light, bubbly and always laughing. This was SOOOO cool! It put me at ease straight away and allowed us to really sync from go. That ALWAYS helps the sessions. If you can connect and develop some kind of chemistry right off the bat, it will prove to be a fruitful session!

Let me also say that Gabby is drop dead gorgeous. Just stunning.

Gabby comes from a storied ballet family! Both of her parents were principal dancers for Pennsylvania Ballet. Her mother, Barbara Sandonato, was the first dancer hired for Pennsylvania Ballet when it formed in 1962 and remained with them until 1977 with the exception of one year spent with National Ballet of Canada where she performed with Rudolf Nureyev. Her father, the late Alexei Yudenich, joined PAB as a principal in 1964 until he left in 1972 to join National Ballet of Canada as a principal. Her parents also won bronze in the 5th IBC in Varna.

She herself met her husband in dance, in school actually at the School of American Ballet, the same school her mother attended. They then reconnected while at work for Pennsylvania Ballet, marrying in 2006. Her husband has since retired and joined the corporate world post-college.

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work with her and really happy it was for this shoot. It is always nice to be a part of something special and this was just that! Here are some teasers from our shoot. Hope you enjoy!!!

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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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Empowered ME ~ Update ~ October 14, 2011

Hey all! Well, it’s been just under two weeks since we did our first shoot for Empowered ME! In a short period of time, we have received an overwhelming response to the project and the images. Dancers have since started to seek me out, asking to be a part of it. Such a humbling experience!! Some fun numbers below

* Our first posted image below, received 55 likes and 43 comments.

* My blog (as of the time I am typing this) for the week has almost 1,200 hits.

* We have done 6 shoots with a total of 10 dancers.

* Most of the shoots have taken place in my studio but one happened at Battery Park in NYC.

* Dancers have been in town from PA, NYC, NJ and SLC, Utah!

* Today’s dancer, Kira, has cancer.

Our first shoot was with Jane Koorts of Ballet Fleming. She was a lot of fun and really set the tone for the series.

Next was Jennifer Gordon a ballet teacher and student in South Jersey. Jen used to dance with Atlantic City Ballet. She is a married mom and takes class at Camden County Community College. Her teacher is my good friend, Erin Royston, who also happens to be one of my models for the shoot after Jens! Jen also teaches at a local studio.

The last shoot for the week was with Mindy, Jeanie, Erin and Laura. Mindy and I have been friends for a year or so now. She came in for shots and we just hit it off. She teaches locally, performs and does choreo. Jeanie and I have been friends for 3 or 4 years now. She was a dance major at Uarts and one of my first guinea pigs there. We have remained friends and have worked together several times since. Erin and I have been friends for about 2 or 3 years. She came to me for some shots and we have been close ever since. She is a dear friend to me. Last but not least is Laura. This was the first time I ever met her face to face. We knew each other from Twitter and Facebook. Laura, originally from Bucks County, is a NYC based freelance dancer and also writer for Dance Informa magazine.

Over the weekend, I traveled to NY for work and hooked up with my friends Jere & Mary for a shoot in Battery Park. Jere dances for Rioult Dance Company and also works at the Joyce. Mary is a busy worker bee and has been delving into yoga pretty hard core!

Wednesday, I had the pleasure to work with Sara Rodriguez. Sara is a young dancer originally from NJ who is currently in the ballet program at the University of Utah with hopes of joining Ballet West’s training program.

My final shoot thus far was with Kira. Kira is a friend of Jane, our first model. Kira also has cancer. She approached me on Facebook shortly after I posted the first images of Jane. Aside from the reality of her situation and the project, she was just a delight to work with! She was a lot of fun and took direction well!

I am really happy I got the chance to work with these amazing artists and equally happy the bonds that were created as a result of this project. Exciting, huh?!! Currently, have a couple more scheduled and plenty of ideas and still looking for more dancers. Soon, you will also be reading some guest blogs from some of those involved in the project (other then me). Of course we will continue to bring you behind the scenes footage from the shoots. Below are some pics of me and the dancers from the project so far. At the very end is a special little treat!!

Enjoy!

Me & Jane

Me, Mindy, Jeanie, Erin & Laura

Mary, Me & Jere – Battery Park

Me & Kira

Newest behind the scenes video with Sara Rodriguez from University of Utah, Ballet Department:

Free Print Give Away!!!!

Ok folks, so I am giving away a print of the image below. But… before I do that and discuss the details of the contest, let me first give some history of this image and its creation…

Story:
I had become friends with Jeff & Lia Cirio from Boston Ballet through Facebook. I actually wound up talking with their mother, Mimi, more then them. At that time, I was just finishing a photo series, Spirit of the Fallen, which paid tribute to the fallen officers of the Philadelphia Police Department. I had the idea of taking that same concept but on the road. So we eventually set up the shoot for me to come up to Boston and work with several of the dancers from Boston Ballet for the spin off project.

The shoots took place September 10-12. I recall watching some of the 9/11 tributes while in the lobby of the BB studios. So, during this weekend, I was to be working with Jeff & Lia Cirio, James Whiteside, Whitney Jensen, Kathleen Breen-Combes, all from Boston Ballet and Dylan G-Bowley who at the time was with Trey McIntyre.

Friday night, I did shoots with Jeff, James and Dylan for Barre Boys and Lia, just because. This is where I captured the infamous picture of James, below.

Saturday, I was set to work with all of the dancers, except Kathleen, for my winged series. She had other obligations for that day so we would work together on Sunday. We got some great shots. Here is a link to some behind the scenes footage. There are 4 videos posted on my Youtube account. Also below is a shot of me and the dancers.

Video:

Me, Jeff & Lia Cirio, Whitney Jensen and James Whiteside. Photo Credit: Dylan G-Bowley

So now, finishing the story and getting to the contest… I had a really great shoot with Kathleen. We did the Angels shoot on the rooftop of Boston Ballet, which made me nervous as hell. I do NOT do heights. We also shot on the street, just some fun artsy stuff but we first shot in one of the studios using just available light. With that setting, in a large open studio with all windows, her talent and grace plus a white skirt, we were bound to create amazing images and we did!

Here is a shot of her and I on the rooftop at the end of the shoot. I look barrel chested cause I was sucking in the gut lol. Wow, looking at it, I realize how OBVIOUS it is that I am sucking it in. Dear god.

THE CONTEST…

The contest is easy. Simply subscribe to my blog by entering your email address when you go to http://brianmengini.wordpress.com/. You will see the option on the right side up towards the top. That is it. Just subscribe to my blog and you are automatically entered to win!

One winner will be chosen at random, to win an 11×14 black and white print of that image featuring Boston Ballet principal dancer, Kathleen Breen Combes.

You MUST subscribe via email by NEXT FRIDAY, September 23rd to be eligible!!!

****YOU MUST CONFIRM SUBSCRIPTION IN ORDER TO QUALIFY!!!!****

Allie in Margot Fonteyn’s Birthday Offering Tutu

In June of this year, Allie Parsons came to Philly to perform two pieces in my Dance for Dreams Gala. I was so excited and honored to have her perform! Allie and I have become very close friends over the last year or so and our families have become close as well!

We were all staying in the same hotel, Loews Hotel, as they donated rooms for the event. YAY US!!!! Generally when Allie comes up to see me, its for a shoot and generally, Claudia Folts, owner of Tutu.Com sends her up with tons of tutus to model. Though we had not really had much time to do anything this weekend, they still brought an onslaught with them. It didn’t seem that we would have any time to do any shooting that weekend as it was full and they had to leave early on Sunday to make the long drive back to North Carolina. However, there was one tutu they had with them that just HAD to be worked in during their time… MARGOT FONTEYN’S ACTUAL TUTU FROM THE BIRTHDAY OFFERING!

Clearly, this was something that would drive me to wake up early for and git r done. After scouting some locations, we opted to just go down to Olde City, Philadelphia, to shoot. We found an old bank or post office or something. It was perfect though. There were HUGE old pillars and just the architecture was perfect for this costume.

I don’t think it really hit me until we actually started shooting in it, what I was actually shooting. I mean, how often does one get to shoot such a magnificent and historic piece of wardrobe? To say the very least, this was a definitive highlight in my career! I am so glad it is one that I shared with not only Allie, but Claudia, who supplied the garment!

Here are just a few images from the shoot!

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Here is Fonteyn with Nureyev:

Angie & Mollie Sansone

Back in July, I traveled to Savannah to do mini sessions for some of the competitors for DTI’s nationals dance competition. I was very much looking forward to it! I had never been to Georgia and was very excited to see the area of Savannah!


A day or two before I was to leave, I received a Facebook message from a friend of mine, Suzette, who owns a dance studio on Hilton Head. She informed me that Mollie and Angie Sansone were going to be guest teaching for her. The two girls had been students of my good friend, Claudia Folts, who owns Tutu.Com. I was not familiar with them at first, but after seeing their photos, I was very eager to work with them. However, it would have to be very much thrown together and done so on the fly, as me and the ladies were both traveling from far distances. Both girls work for professional ballet companies, Mollie in Nashville and Angie in KC.

I established contact with them before leaving and wound up connecting with Angie via Facebook. Our communication was very scattered and did not become solid until I was actually on my way over to the island. While in transit, Angie and I confirmed that we would shoot that evening after class.

After class ended, we hung around and chatted some, getting to know each other a bit before we headed out. Since day light was quickly leaving us, we dashed over to the plantation where they were staying so they could freshen up. I was a little nervous about having enough “good” light to yield a successful shoot. As the girls were prepping, I was asked to pick out what color leos they were to wear, which I was happy to do. I must say, I am very pleased with my choices as they matched the girls tones and that of the sunlight perfectly. Had I missed my calling as a stylist??? Perhaps an overshoot of a thought…

The girls came down and we started shooting with Mollie first. Then some together, then Angie. The area we shot at was just gorgeous. It was a huge home that overlooked a marshy area. There was tall grass and all sorts of amazing things that lended themselves quite nicely to the ambiance of our session!

I also have to admit just how smitten I was with the golden tones of the sunset. The girls also played so well off the rays and the area in general. They were very adventurous and needed little direction. The shoot itself was quite quick but I am in love with the images. The girls were a true delight to work with. It was also very nice to be able to get these two girls together in one photograph given that they work in two different states.


I want to thank Suzette so much for making this happen and the girls and their mom, Janet, as well for their time and letting me in to their world. Aside from making great images with them, I made great friends.

Hope you enjoy the images!

Leos: ELEVE

Abby Kurdin ~ Children’s Miracle Network Ambassador

When Abby’s mom first reached out, little did I know that I would have a miracle coming into my studio and in front of my lens. My first real conversation with Jan came the night before my shoot with Abby. I was sitting in Tampa Intl Airport and we chatted over the phone about the shoot and moreso she gave me Abby’s full story. I was blown away and really could not wait to work with her. What a truly amazing and just inspiring story of hope it is.

(note my footwear!)

By all accounts, Abby’s life seems to be relatively normal. She is 13. She loves to shop. She loves to dance. Her dream is to pursue a career in dance. She does the various intensives along with regular classes. Again, this is pretty “normal” or typical for a young girl this age pursuing dance further. What you don’t know by looking at her, what you can’t tell by watching her is the fact that she is dancing at all is a miracle.

No one in their right mind would ever think that falling off a monkey bar as a 4 year old preschooler, bumping her head and getting knocked unconscious, may have been the best thing that ever happened to someone. But this is exactly what happened to Abby. She fell off the monkey bars at recess, was knocked out and taken to Dayton Children’s where a CT scan showed no concussion but there was something there at the base of her brain.

It was revealed that Abby had a rare malformation, Chiari, which was causing her brain and spine to grow together and causing pressure. It was likely present at birth and is usually not detected on cat scans. So it was truly amazing that the radiology tech actually caught it. Had this still gone undetected, she could have experienced many serious problems such as headaches and coordination issues, just to name a few, but it could have also lead to her being paralyzed. To correct this, Abby had to have brain surgery in 2002 at Dayton Children’s and recovered quickly from it.

Now, years later, she is back in the mix and you would never know anything ever happened. She started her summer at the Rock School and is currently doing an intensive at PNB in Seattle. She has traveled the country dancing, winning awards and loving her life. Come fall, she will be back at the Rock School in Philly and pursuing her dreams of joining a company one day.

Abby was a blast to work with. We worked in the studio and went to Valley Forge Park for some as well. Below are some of the images from our session as well as her video story from CMN! I encourage you all to watch it!!

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….

Tiffany Hedman

Tiffand and I have been friends on Facebook for a while. Through that and me working with some of the dancers from Boston Ballet, she became more familiar with my work and apparently liked it. I had always admired her and especially her presence. So when she one day indicated she would like to work with me, I was elated.

It is often tough working through schedules with dancers, especially in a major company and if they are higher ranked. Eventually, we were able to get things worked out on a trip I was planning for Boston to work on some other things. I remember this entire weekend, almost, we were being bounced from studio to studio, trying to find one open. Finally, we did and we were able to get some work in. Tiffany was a true joy work with and such a sweet person. Here are some of the images from our session!

Baring my soul ~ In book form

For years now, I have wanted to do a book. I want a collection of my work on people’s coffee tables, etc. But til now, and even now, I have not been sold on what this book will look like. What will be the theme. Will it be a mere compilation ~ a greatest hits of sorts? I have been back and forth on this and still am torn. So, to help me through my own process, I have decided to blog about my dilemma.

I have often found that by talking through things, talking through a process or roadblock, you get it out on the table and can possibly see it more clearly. Perhaps by opening up, you can see past roadblocks or think more openly about it. So… here we go!

One thing I am most certain of is that I do NOT want a greatest hits type book. You can go online to see that. I don’t have to spend time assembling it in book form, just go to Facebook. But for a while, I felt it may need a journalistic side – tell a story. However, this morning, I am thinking that perhaps I can accomplish this through my images. Duh…

One more thing I am quite certain of is that this “book” needs to be more than just beautiful images. I don’t want a collection of just pretty pictures, etc. This book needs to really hit people in their gut. I want them to feel it in their guts. I want them to leave decisively moved. We are not talking tears here. We are talking being in a different place then when they first picked it up. I want the person who is looking at it to feel this book at their core. They need to be struck.

But, before you are struck, I must be and I must be in that same way I want you to be. This is why it can not be just another pretty picture. Trust me, a lot of my “every day” images move me. I am at times, brought to tears with images I have been a part of. This book needs to be more. For this reason, I need to step out of my “every day.”

I feel for this book, I must travel abroad to tap into uncharted territories. I need to escape my normal element to really be able to dig deep into my soul and create this work that I want to showcase. There needs to be a sense of vulnerability and newness to really challenge myself.

Up til this morning, I was heading in one direction with the book and theme, but I came across an album of images that really moved me and caused me to rethink this.

You see, this uncertainty, this indecisiveness, is why I have not done a book yet and also a reason why it has taken me 4 years to revamp my site. So perhaps, this rant will help me through my own process. Or maybe this is just a load of crap and I am just running my mouth.

Thanks for reading!!