This folio had its beginnings in a series of photographs of the dancers of the Royal Ballet, culminating in an exhibition at the Hospital Club gallery and subsequently at the Ivy in 2013, celebrating the first season of the then new director of the Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare. Originally the project was to intended to provide a snapshot of a ballet company a particular time; the work has continued however, and now features dancers from many other companies. What follows is an excerpt from the exhibitions press release:

In this astounding series of images photographer Rick Guest and stylist Olivia Pomp present a modern take on the classical world of ballet. This project is the coming together of three separate disciplines, that of photography, fashion and dance. Away from the confines of the stage and traditional costume, the dancers are able to demonstrate their breathtaking capabilities in an uninhibited atmosphere.

Olivia and Rick have a unique partnership which has developed over many years of collaboration on international editorial commissions. Rick’s extensive experience of photographing athletes professionally gives him a unique insight into how best to capture the human body in motion – seizing moments of weight and weightlessness.

These images illustrate key tenets of balletic technique – balance and poise – but with a strong fashion edge that is both evocative and playful. For this project, Olivia focuses on projecting the strength and power inherent in the dancers’ poise, underlining their form by styling with unconventional garments and accessories custom-crafted by young British designers: Derek Lawlor, Hannah Morgan, Alison Lewis, Georgina Pragnell and Ana Rajcevicz.

Rick and Olivia are honoured to work with The Royal Ballet and the astounding array of incredible dancers and choreographers of such international renown. Dancers include Edward Watson, Marianella Nunez, Stephen McRae, Nehemiah Kish, Johannes Stepanek, Eric Underwood, Zenaida Yanowsky, Lauren Cuthbertson, Thiago Soares and Melissa Hamilton.

Each image is float mounted and framed in American oak to form a dramatic installation. All art pieces are a limited edition of six and will be for sale.

There will be a book available from early December 2015, from rg-books.com containing these photographs and many more from the series, with a foreword by Kevin O’Hare, Director of the Royal Ballet.