When I was first approached by the Tricycle Dance Company to do shots for the promotion of their first show, I stood by the philosophy that I think most photographers tend to stick by: Say “yes”, and ask questions later.
Shooting for “promotional purposes” seemed vague to me, and I rarely turn my camera on without knowing some kind of background and such about my subject. So, I asked Crissy and Carrie (who also run the Dover Yoga Studio www.doveryoga.com ) to tell me a bit more about the purpose of the shoot, and the concept behind it all. Crissy’s email reply is best summed up by one phrase she included: “…Think 1950’s pinup”. Naturally after reading this, I ‘pumped the brakes’ a touch, and then continued on reading. What I had signed up for was the following:
The Tricycle Dance Company was preparing to put on its first show, in which it would combine Modern and Burlesque Dance. Now, Burlesque is not dormant, per se, in the world of performance arts, but for all intents and purposes this would be a revival of the genre here in New Hampshire. The goal of the Dance Company's performance is to have fun, put on an entertaining show, and to raise as much money as possible for Save The Ta-Tas (a breast cancer coalition). Now that I had the gist,next came my own research into the Burlesque genre of performance art; my creative process was underway...
It wasn’t until I started researching the origin and history of Burlesque dancing that I understood exactly what I was up against as the photographer. Remember what I mentioned about saying “yes”? Well, feel free to live by that philosophy, but just make sure you’ve got the guts to photograph 12 beautiful and talented women who are extremely comfortable with their bodies. Burlesque Dance is defined generally as "a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus" (thanks, dictionary.com!).
Shooting for “promotional purposes” seemed vague to me, and I rarely turn my camera on without knowing some kind of background and such about my subject. So, I asked Crissy and Carrie (who also run the Dover Yoga Studio www.doveryoga.com ) to tell me a bit more about the purpose of the shoot, and the concept behind it all. Crissy’s email reply is best summed up by one phrase she included: “…Think 1950’s pinup”. Naturally after reading this, I ‘pumped the brakes’ a touch, and then continued on reading. What I had signed up for was the following:
The Tricycle Dance Company was preparing to put on its first show, in which it would combine Modern and Burlesque Dance. Now, Burlesque is not dormant, per se, in the world of performance arts, but for all intents and purposes this would be a revival of the genre here in New Hampshire. The goal of the Dance Company's performance is to have fun, put on an entertaining show, and to raise as much money as possible for Save The Ta-Tas (a breast cancer coalition). Now that I had the gist,next came my own research into the Burlesque genre of performance art; my creative process was underway...
It wasn’t until I started researching the origin and history of Burlesque dancing that I understood exactly what I was up against as the photographer. Remember what I mentioned about saying “yes”? Well, feel free to live by that philosophy, but just make sure you’ve got the guts to photograph 12 beautiful and talented women who are extremely comfortable with their bodies. Burlesque Dance is defined generally as "a humorous and provocative stage show featuring slapstick humor, comic skits, bawdy songs, striptease acts, and a scantily clad female chorus" (thanks, dictionary.com!).
It turns out that Burlesque has quite a history. As I delved into researching the genre, I began drawing all sorts of parallels between the Tricycle Dance Co. show and the women’s movement which some would say is ongoing. As I usually do, I found myself wondering if I was just over-analyzing things, but I kept gravitating toward this idea:
The 1900s was a big century for women – after centuries of being objectified, women’s identities began to take form (mind you, Burlesque has roots that reach further back in time, as does the women's movement). There was rebellion, fun and relative freedom (think of flappers, voting, and the hula-hoop). Women were also becoming more in touch with their bodies and identities. Enter: Burlesque. Burlesque Dancers, women who were at times more nude than clothed, performed by taking off their outfits dancing provocatively for audiences made up of mostly men. The word Burlesque can be translated to turning something upside- down, as these shows tended to do with certain cultural norms of the day. The shows also included some saucy parody. Girls would put on skits in which they would pretended to be flakey, clumsy, naïve, and corny. The Burlesque dances themselves were sexy, somewhat objectifying, and overtly playful. A good deal of the performances tended to poke fun at the Aristocracy of the times. With all of these thoughts whirling about in my head, I asked myself why else would women objectify themselves in this way, especially after spending so many years being objectified by men? Ever heard the phrase, “Thumbing your nose at the system”? Well, if you think about it this phrase applies perfectly. What could be a more stylish way to break free then to make mockery of the shackles that once bound you? These women were acquiescing with the past, subliming from object to subject, and finally coming to rest at an identity that was smart, comfortable, fun and free - causing ruckus and entertainment all the while!
By and large, there is also something is to be said about Tricycle Dance Co putting on a burlesque show to raise money for breast cancer prevention, treatment and research. Breast cancer is, in many ways, a sort of new oppressor for women - and as they have done in the past, women are finding all sorts of ways to thumb their nose at this new detriment; the Tricycle Dance Company is a great example of such.
So if anyone thinks I’ve over analyzed this, picture my wife shaking her head and saying, "Well, that means that everything in the universe is completely normal." It's a tendancy I suppose i have.
The 1900s was a big century for women – after centuries of being objectified, women’s identities began to take form (mind you, Burlesque has roots that reach further back in time, as does the women's movement). There was rebellion, fun and relative freedom (think of flappers, voting, and the hula-hoop). Women were also becoming more in touch with their bodies and identities. Enter: Burlesque. Burlesque Dancers, women who were at times more nude than clothed, performed by taking off their outfits dancing provocatively for audiences made up of mostly men. The word Burlesque can be translated to turning something upside- down, as these shows tended to do with certain cultural norms of the day. The shows also included some saucy parody. Girls would put on skits in which they would pretended to be flakey, clumsy, naïve, and corny. The Burlesque dances themselves were sexy, somewhat objectifying, and overtly playful. A good deal of the performances tended to poke fun at the Aristocracy of the times. With all of these thoughts whirling about in my head, I asked myself why else would women objectify themselves in this way, especially after spending so many years being objectified by men? Ever heard the phrase, “Thumbing your nose at the system”? Well, if you think about it this phrase applies perfectly. What could be a more stylish way to break free then to make mockery of the shackles that once bound you? These women were acquiescing with the past, subliming from object to subject, and finally coming to rest at an identity that was smart, comfortable, fun and free - causing ruckus and entertainment all the while!
By and large, there is also something is to be said about Tricycle Dance Co putting on a burlesque show to raise money for breast cancer prevention, treatment and research. Breast cancer is, in many ways, a sort of new oppressor for women - and as they have done in the past, women are finding all sorts of ways to thumb their nose at this new detriment; the Tricycle Dance Company is a great example of such.
So if anyone thinks I’ve over analyzed this, picture my wife shaking her head and saying, "Well, that means that everything in the universe is completely normal." It's a tendancy I suppose i have.
In terms of the photo shoot, it was such a blast. These women did all of the hard work. I mean, holding a pose is certainly tough, but holding it while performing an areal fabric dance redefines the very meaning of ‘tough’. These women handled it though, and they made the shoot a complete success, and a lot of fun. I think it was Heidi who came to me at the begining of the second shoot and said, "So...I guess this is what God-fearing people do on Sundays, huh?" ...seriously, these ladies had me laughing more than once!
My closing remarks are simple: mark February 14th on your calendar, and plan on getting to the Ioka Theater in Exeter, New Hampshire, the stage of their first performance. You’ll get a little of everything: dancing and music, stilt performances, and great theater … all done in fishnet stockings and scarlet high heels by some of New Hampshire’s most talented and remarkable women! Visit their website for more information: http://tricycledancecompany.com/index.html !
Many sincere thanks go out to the Tricycle Dance Company for inviting me on as their photographer, and for making the shoot so much fun. You're all amazing! Special thanks also to Joanne McDonough at Joya Beauty in Dover for an absolutely remarkable job on makeup! Visit her site at http://www.joyabeauty.com/ !
My closing remarks are simple: mark February 14th on your calendar, and plan on getting to the Ioka Theater in Exeter, New Hampshire, the stage of their first performance. You’ll get a little of everything: dancing and music, stilt performances, and great theater … all done in fishnet stockings and scarlet high heels by some of New Hampshire’s most talented and remarkable women! Visit their website for more information: http://tricycledancecompany.com/index.html !
Many sincere thanks go out to the Tricycle Dance Company for inviting me on as their photographer, and for making the shoot so much fun. You're all amazing! Special thanks also to Joanne McDonough at Joya Beauty in Dover for an absolutely remarkable job on makeup! Visit her site at http://www.joyabeauty.com/ !
Cheers!
http://www.summitphotographynh.com
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