It has been 10 years since the first ballroom dance event that I tried to capture with my camera. At that time weddings were my main photography subject. Dance was a hobby that we enjoyed 2 to 3 times a week for exercise, and be social! The Arthur Murray dance studios in the DC area hold Freestyles and Showcase events that allow their students and staff to show off what they have been learning. We participated and supported them, but I did not try to photograph them since I was busy having so much fun!
Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance photography – Leisa and Joe Howard
Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance photography
We then attended a special Dance-o-rama event held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. While the event was run much like the local ones that were used to, there were some other elements that made it stand apart. For me, it was the Open Professional competitions that capped the entire weekend. Not only were professionals dancing with each other to show their talents, but they were competing with other professional couples. It was a lot to take in as an amateur enthusiast. With so many great dancers on the floor, you wanted to see everything that was happening, but it was impossible to keep up!
Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance photography
Arthur Murray Ballroom Dance photography
Luckily, our studio had some entries of our staff in the competition. Now our group that we traveled with had people to focus on, to root for, and to follow with my camera! I really enjoyed seeing people that were teaching our classes at home on the big stage going up against the best from around the region. I learned so much from that first experience. There as setup for the camera, positioning myself to the dance floor, and thinking about how I could improve the images. I have been working on that ever since, and I have enjoyed the results along the way!
2017 Pennsylvania Ballroom Scrimmage
2017 Pennsylvania Ballroom Scrimmage
Speaking of ballroom dance events, we have one from 2017 that is expiring at the TimeLine Media proofing site. It was our first time covering the Pennsylvania Ballroom Scrimmage in Lancaster, PA. What a very nice group of dancers from the area. We saw some familiar faces, and Barbara and Leraunt were amazing hosts. Here is the link to the photos:
http://proofs.timelinedc.com/gallery/17PABS/home
2017 Pennsylvania Ballroom Scrimmage
2017 Pennsylvania Ballroom Scrimmage
We look forward to even more ballroom dance photos this year! The challenge is still there with dancers continuing to push their craft to new speeds, and better technique. I will have to try to keep up!