Video installation captures dancers' motions
Jennifer Joyner
Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: Lifestyles
The Walton Arts Center will present "Slow Dancing," a free outdoor exhibition with nightly showings, Thursday through Nov. 13.
"Slow Dancing," by photographer David Michalek, is a series of more than 40 larger-than-life, hyper slow-motion video portraits of international, iconic dancers and choreographers and celebrates movements of the human body.
The series has been exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Venice.
The recordings will be projected on three massive screens outside of the WAC Tyson Plaza and will display about 10 minutes of the performance.
"If you're driving on Dickson Street, you'll definitely see it," said Jolana Aibangbee, WAC publicity and promotions coordinator.
What at first appears to be a series of still photographs unfolds a motion portrait in which each dancer's unique artistic expression and technique are revealed. The extreme slow motion allows the viewer to catch details that would normally escape the naked eye, according to a press release.
"This is a special exhibition because it's a very limited showing," Aibangbee said.
"Slow Dancing" only has been shown at three places in the U.S., she said.
Michalek began his professional photographic career in 1991 and worked regularly as a portrait artist for publications such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Interview and Vogue. His wife, Wendy Whelan, a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, is the source of his inspiration for "Slow Dancing," according to the press release.
"There's a lot of beautiful dance photography, but I wondered, is there a way to take what's missing from dance photography - the time element - and make something that's not just another dance movie?" Michalek said in the press release.
Michalek enlisted the help of advanced technology by employing a special high-speed HD camera that's typically used by the military for ballistic analysis. The camera is capable of recording images at 1,000 frames a second.
"Slow Dancing," by photographer David Michalek, is a series of more than 40 larger-than-life, hyper slow-motion video portraits of international, iconic dancers and choreographers and celebrates movements of the human body.
The series has been exhibited in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, London and Venice.
The recordings will be projected on three massive screens outside of the WAC Tyson Plaza and will display about 10 minutes of the performance.
"If you're driving on Dickson Street, you'll definitely see it," said Jolana Aibangbee, WAC publicity and promotions coordinator.
What at first appears to be a series of still photographs unfolds a motion portrait in which each dancer's unique artistic expression and technique are revealed. The extreme slow motion allows the viewer to catch details that would normally escape the naked eye, according to a press release.
"This is a special exhibition because it's a very limited showing," Aibangbee said.
"Slow Dancing" only has been shown at three places in the U.S., she said.
Michalek began his professional photographic career in 1991 and worked regularly as a portrait artist for publications such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Interview and Vogue. His wife, Wendy Whelan, a principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, is the source of his inspiration for "Slow Dancing," according to the press release.
"There's a lot of beautiful dance photography, but I wondered, is there a way to take what's missing from dance photography - the time element - and make something that's not just another dance movie?" Michalek said in the press release.
Michalek enlisted the help of advanced technology by employing a special high-speed HD camera that's typically used by the military for ballistic analysis. The camera is capable of recording images at 1,000 frames a second.
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