When Movement Takes on a Life of Its Own

There is always something special about photographing people with an extraordinary talent. Dancers have a particular fascination for me. Their control, physical tension and natural connection with their bodies bring a unique energy to an image.
Models know how to pose – but dancers move differently. Their gestures follow their own rhythm, and a moment can emerge from a movement that no one could have planned. You frame a particular scene, find the right composition – and suddenly the dancer’s head and gaze appear somewhere entirely different. That is when things become exciting: you have to stay present and respond at just the right moment.
It is almost impossible to know in advance exactly how the finished image will feel. The movement keeps changing the scene. And it cannot simply be repeated over and over. Dancers need strength and concentration; each repetition places another demand on their bodies. That is why I like to see briefly how a movement ends. It gives me a chance to prepare for the final position and set up my camera. After that, I need to stay alert – and be ready to be surprised by what actually happens in front of the lens.
Having dancers in front of my camera has always swept me up in the moment. Sadly, I have had too few of these encounters, but the people I photographed for this selection have stayed with me.
Emese Biro, who is originally from Hungary, now dances at the State Opera in Budapest. Gisele Oesch is touring Switzerland with a musical. She can sing as well as dance – an additional talent that gives her stage presence another dimension.
I know that Camilla Galla continues to work as a model. I’m not sure whether she still dances. I have also lost touch with Anja and Meli Glover, the two siblings, and don’t know where life has taken them since. What remains, though, are the photographs and the memory of those special moments when movement, expression and personality came together.