My Top 5: Balanchine Ballet Photos

This week I asked Dave Morgan, a wonderful photographer who has captured some of my favourite ballet photos, to share his top five selection. Dave has captured some memorable moments from some of Balanchine's finest works, and below are his favourite images. Enjoy!

Serenade

This is the iconic opening scene of Serenade, which issues a gasp inducing view as the curtain goes up!

Emeralds

This is probably my favourite section from Balanchine's ballet, Jewels. There are so many moments that invoke the sheer beauty of this ballet.

Symphony in C

Symphony in C is one of my favourite ballets. This photo, though far from a 'perfect capture', gives me that sense of the thrilling movement found in this ballet, which is personified in the form of Sarah Lamb.

Rubies

Rubies, the second movement from Jewels, is full of iconic moments, but this one of the corps dancers, featuring an effervescent Celisa Duiana, captures its joire de vivre more than any other photo I've taken of it!

Ballo della Regina

This is an interesting ballet - but this shot is special to me. Beatriz Stix-Brunel asked for a copy for her father, so as 'payment' I asked her to sign a second copy for me. It was, apparently, the first signed photo she had done since joining The Royal Ballet. How true that is, I don't know (she has no doubt signed many, many more since, that's for sure) but I'd like to believe it!

*All photos copyright Dave Morgan

You can follow Dave's flickr page here