Swan Lake rehearsal photographs

In October I was commissioned to take rehearsal photographs for Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake in East London.

The ballet famously features male swans. Watching them rehearse felt like a privileged experience, professional dancers always make the performance appear effortless on stage, but in rehearsal you can see the concentration, expertise and sheer physicality the performance requires. The dancers drip with sweat as they are put through their paces, they gasp for breath as they put their heart and soul into every move. I was sitting at the very front and despite having a camera between me and the action I was surprised by how much the emotions affected me. The swans were so fierce, and the scenes towards the end are so emotional, I felt myself welling up in the final few moments.

Above, Jonathan Ollivier's Swan stands over Sam Archer's The Prince.

Michela Meazza (the Queen) holds Sam Archer (the Prince).

I cannot recommend Swan Lake highly enough, it is currently showing at Sadler's Wells until January 26th when it goes on a national and international tour.