I recently had the amazing opportunity to shoot and witness ballroom dance competition. I have seen a lot of dancing and shot a lot of dancing but this was something different. I am very used to being around hip hop dancing so I was somewhat mesmerized by the grace and precision that these dancers could perform these dances with. What made it great for me was that whether the dance was energetic or very formal, a cha cha or a waltz, the couple was still having fun and performed the dance with all the concentration and passion that they were capable of. I was very interested in witnessing the lively dynamic of the competition with cheering and surplus enthusiasm for dance. I also very much enjoyed interacting with the amazing members of Northeastern Ballroom Dance Club. I do dance on occasion but the talent that these people possess is quite impressive, intimidating (in a good way), and inspiring.
A good friend of my friend, Jeff Tung, took it upon himself to form this crew that serves primarily as a resource for dancers who want to learn new choreography and take the time to advance their skills while building and perfecting a set of choreos. He calls this crew UPdrifting. I thank him for propositioning me to photograph and video their practices because it is extremely fun as well as incredibly impressive in what they do. Jeff is one of the most creative, talented, and fun loving people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He does an amazing job of teaching these very complex, fast choreos and at the same time stressing the importance of feeling the music and enjoying what you are doing. He even has other dancers teach choreos which makes for an even more increased range of styles that the participants/members learn. Going to these sessions are always very enjoyable and inspiring for me as a photographer as well as person who is just interested in dancing and having a good time.
I received the amazing opportunity to shoot the Overdrive Dance Showcase last Saturday. What this was was an incredible collection of talented dancers all in one place to show what they got. I spent basically an entire day witness to skills that I can not even begin to understand. I found myself in awe of these individuals as well as entire crews who do these dances, these moves, just as naturally as I click the shutter button on my camera. They appear to feel the music and do things with it and their bodies that very successfully impress and entertain. Perhaps the most interesting and exhilarating part of the event was when it came time for the dancers to battle in order to move on to the next rounds of the competition. Especially towards the later rounds it was amazing the amount of passion, effort, and fun that was being put into the performances. It was awesome being on stage with these competitors as they went at each other using their skills and were encourage by constant yells and indications of approval, recognition, and astonishment. Being immersed in this environment really allowed me to feel a part of what is an very exciting and intense experience. The performers, the crews , and the staff were all great. I am very thankful for being involved in such an outstanding and inspiring event, Thank you Bulletproof Funk and everyone else that was there.
With lots of time and access to some awesome vantage points i think I got some very successful photos capturing the talent and passion of the performances.
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