Spotlight: Gareth Brown for Acro Dance

Balance. Rhythm. Grace. Strength. These principles guide acro dance, a blend of acrobatics and dance. Gareth Brown captures this innovative performance art, showcasing precise movements, athletic choreography, and striking silhouettes. When acro dancers Corina Sucre and Daniel Sierralta applied to the World Championship of Performing Arts—the premier international competition for discovering top performing artists—they knew they needed a photographer who could highlight the unique qualities of acro dance. They chose Gareth Brown, whose expertise perfectly captured their distinctive style.

The duo had originally met Hong Kong based photographer Gareth Brown through a Pure International campaign where they modeled and he photographed, and after getting a chance to see Gareth’s personal project, Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest, they knew he would be able to capture their movements the way they needed.

The images would need to comply with the WCOPA application standards, as well as provide a record of their routine and movement for critical analysis.

The pair also looked forward to getting some beautiful photos for their performance memory.

The Challenge

While the shoot was a relatively simple setup, Gareth did face the challenge of being located in one of the priciest real estate locations in the world. With a small studio and a pair of dancers that required plenty of room to move, the team had to be creative with their positions. Some of their usual movements could not be done within the space due to ceiling restrictions and required on-the-spot thinking to get the perfect shots.

Gareth also had to continually readjust lights based on Corina’s and Daniel’s constantly moving forms in the studio.

After an intense session, Gareth and the dancers were very pleased with the way the images turned out.

Corina and Daniel used the photos to enter the World Championship of Performing Arts, and came out with gold. Gareth was thrilled to capture images that showcased the dancers’ skills and their emotional connection with audiences through acro dance.

My favorite part is the inspiration I derive from working with performers who have the desire and passion to follow their dreams. In this case, their dreams came true as they won the Gold medal in the WCOPA Acro Dance Division.

See more of Gareth’s work on his website.

Further Reading
Read more articles about Gareth Brown.
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