Dance photography can bring you all sorts of experiences and as a UK based professional dance photographer I love experiencing all sorts. An exam day is usually a private affair as exams can be one of the most stressful times of the year in a students life, however they can also be the most rewarding at the same time. You receive priceless feedback on how you are doing from your teachers perspective and that can drive you on or redirect you depending on the feedback given. On the 5th March it was time to go back into London and document the exam/assessment day at the London Russian Ballet School’s premises, just off of Clapham High Street. I arrived at the school early to make sure I was ready for the photo shoot and had a chance to speak with the Artistic Director, Evgeny Goremykin, where he was able to show me his plans for the school and developing their premises to be one of the most amazing dance school premises in the UK. His vision is quite remarkable and the architect has produced something quite stunning for the next generation of LRBS students.

My first port of call for the day was the little dancers where I wanted to capture their little personalities as well as some really cute shots in their multi coloured tutu’s. After that I went on to the more important exam session which was the main reason LRBS hired me for the day. LRBS was extremely generous and let me work as I wanted. They wanted me to move around although with the documentary style to my photography, I didn’t want to get too close as it would ruin the shots. Instead I worked around the room trying to keep my reflection in the mirrors out of each shot and document the exam as it happened. After the exam session I covered the senior class, taught by the Artistic Director himself, which produced some challenging angles as there were so many dancers within the dance space! The client was extremely happy with the images I produced from the day and it has helped to cement the relationship between London Russian Ballet School and Martin Bell Photography even more!!

For more samples of my work please visit my website or contact me for a list of options available to you and your dance school.

I hope you enjoyed this read and please don’t be afraid to comment if you feel the urge, it’s always lovely to hear from you.

MB 😉