brad walls' aerial photo series captures the poetic synchronicity of ballet

brad walls captures the poetry of ballet from above

Award winning aerial photographer Brad Walls has collaborated with The English National Ballet to translate the elegant harmony and poetic serenity of dance as two-dimensional artworks. The one-of-a-kind series captures choreographies from the air, encapsulating Walls’ trademark themes of symmetry and geometry. Disrupting traditional ballet photography, Walls shifts its perspective from shooting individual dancers to the synchronous motions of the ballet corp, photographing the motions of six baller dancers. ‘Most ballet photography focuses on a singular dancer in a dramatic pose. To me, the beauty of ballet is rather the opposite, it’s delicacy and teamwork,’ notes Walls.

Hibiscus | all images by Brad Walls

compositions of unique perspectives, symmetry, and geometry

The English National Ballet series comprises 14 drone-captured images that emphasize harmonious shapes and patterns as seen from a height of 5-10 meters above ground, and an unconventional view of ballet. Prior to the shoot, the Australian photographer dedicated weeks to researching ballet poses and considering how to integrate them into his compositions before digitally sketching out his preliminary ideas.

Further, inspiration was sought from everyday items, becoming apparent in particular in the ‘Hanging Teacups’ image which was conceptualised the night before the shoot. ‘I stayed in an Airbnb in London that had coffee mugs displaying on wall hooks. The way they were hanging reminded me of the 4th position in ballet,’ explains the photographer. Brad Wall’s trademark techniques and unique compositional perspectives can also clearly be seen throughout the series, most prominently in the image ‘Hibiscus’. ‘Geometry provides a hint at consistency in an ever inconsistent world. Innately, humans are drawn to it. Me, maybe more so.’

In 2024, Walls intends to feature this series along with other photoshoots from the New York City Ballet and Australian Ballet in a coffee table book.

You Vs You

Lumiere

Mosaic

Tension

Whimsical

Not Ballet

1/4

Interlinked

Tension II

Palindrome

Sequence

project info:

name: English National Ballet
photographer: Brad Walls

dancers: Bree Foad, Lulu Toner, Daisy Wales, Anna-Babette Winkler, Paige Bestington and Eireen Evrard

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom