Forward Momentum

The practice of dance confirms the picking of oneself from a fallen state 

can be translated into forward momentum.

-Ying Zhu

Moments : a dance company portrait

This is one of my favorite moments from the last few months. I've had the honor, pleasure and joy to photograph some truly amazing souls this season. I can't wait to share more with you. 

Love and Light,

Heather

inspiration : IRC dance

I was looking for this video for a friend. I posted earlier this year on my facebook page. 

I cannot stop watching it. Inspiring, mesmerizing and brilliantly done.

Enjoy!

Love and Light,

Heather

Occupy the light : The Revolution Is Love

Occupy Wall Street, The Revolution Is Love.
Charles Einstein, Sacred Economics

I usually don't write posts having to do with politics here, I post my photos and talk about art but, lately it seems hard to focus on anything else but following the recent Occupy events. The students at UC Davis, Scott Olsen, Zuccotti Park... It's painful watching what's happening to these liberty fighters. I find it hard to believe that some people think things are fine the way they are. How can they be so blind? We're headed to a dangerous place economically but more importantly we're walking a very serious line morally. 

I'm proud of the peaceful protests and excited by the powerful current moving through the world inspiring; conversation, critical thinking and compassion. I hope I can teach my son to have integrity, to speak up against injustice, to have the heart and mind to truly listen to other people's opinions and a never ending desire to love. I believe this is where the future lies. Perhaps this revolution is one of love and light. I sign my blog posts, letters and emails with "love and light" and I mean it every time, it's my heart's most simple message... to care about the world around me and light the world with love. This revolution may be a quieter one, but it's extremely important. I'll continue to Occupy the Light, pray for those on the front lines of the occupy movement and most importantly pass this on to the next generation.

Love and Light,
Heather

Levi's Go Fourth.

Poem: The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
Music: Anjos by Juliana Barwick.

Your life is your life

don't let it be clubbed into dank submission.

be on the watch.

there are ways out.

there is light somewhere.

there may not be much light

but it beat the darkness.

be on the watch.

the gods will offer you chances.

know them.

take them.

you can't beat death but 

you can beat death in life, sometimes.

and the more often you learn to do it

the more light there will be.

your life is your life.

know it while you have it.

you are marvelous.

the gods wait to delight

in you. 

Dance Company Portrait: freshblood dance collective

coming soon...

BOOM : Colorado Dance Photographer

Next up...

artist portrait: amy

Meet Amy Dillahunty. She's graduated from CU Boulder last spring and recently moved to Seattle to take the city by storm. I met Amy dancing at CU in the BFA program. She's pretty darn fantastic. A sweet soul and fierce dancer. I can't wait to hear about her Seattle adventures. I know she'll make an impact on that wonderful city, they're lucky to have her. Keep chasing those dreams Amy!

Love and Light,

Heather

Dance Company Portraits: Fall 2011

It's been a very busy time around here. I've had the pleasure to work with many amazing local dance companies the last few months and I feel incredibly blessed. Working with these talented artists and dancers has made collaborating a dream come true.

Stay tuned for many great things to come. 

Love and Light,

Heather

The B Side: Jadd Tank

Meet Jadd Tank. He's a creative mind, choreographer, dancer and artist. This is the B-side album to a shoot we did last year. B-side, you ask? B-sides are a way to revisit past shoots and play around with the post production of it. Many times when I work with an artist they have a specific vision in mind, one in which we collaborate to create something new. With B-sides, I try to find a new vision within existing photos and then I let my imagination run wild. 

Enjoy!

Love and Light,

Heather

morning inspiration

My morning inspiration. In my photography and choreography I fall into the category of "discovery and uncovering something that is already there." I don't think I am inventing my work. I just listen very carefully and look at things through new angles.

I hope this inspires your morning as it has mine.

Love and Light,

Heather

framing | inspiration |

I can't stop watching this video. I love it. I wish I was there to photograph it. There are so many amazing angles created by the tables and dancers. I want to crawl through the space and follow them. 

It's so beautiful. 

Love and Light,

Heather

Dance Company Portrait: Dis-Guise | Colorado Dance Photographer |

Meet Evolving Doors Dance directed by Angie Simmons. These fantastic ladies are in the last stretch of rehearsals for their show "Dis-Guise" premiering at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado this month.

October 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29.

For more information about this Boulder based dance company, 

please visit Evolving Doors Dance's website. 

Love and Light,

Heather

artist portrait: Professor Chaos

Meet Charlie Dando, Prof. Chaos and an all around awesome dancer. We had a great time running around the University of Colorado at Boulder Campus. We did not sneak into chemistry labs, break anything in the library or act suspicious around the biology building... I'm just saying, in case you were wondering. We did however have a great time dancing, laughing and losing our keys in the library... okay maybe that part wasn't so fun. 

Did you know that Charlie can fly through the aisles of the library, did you catch that one? That particular shot was hilarious to capture. Charlie had to jump while I shot as quick as possible then rolling into an aisle before he tumbled over my spot. Crazy and exhilarating. If only we had that sequence on camera. Fun times!

Spinning Light,

Heather

© 2011 Heather Gray, all rights reserved

skins vs. bowlers

Today's dance inspiration. I could seriously get lost in all of the dance videos on youtube, especially when they are choreographed by Naharin.

when we were beautiful and all that came after

© 2011 Photography by Heather Gray, all rights reserved

Control Group Productions presents
when we were beautiful and all that came after

April 28-30
Door at 7:40, Show at 8pm
...BINDERY | space
2180 Stout Street, Denver, CO 80205
22nd and Stout, directly behind the Mercury Cafe
$15 at the door | $12 in advance at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168798

Created by Control Group
Directed by Patrick Mueller
Performed by Soleil Chappelle, Patrick Mueller, and Kristine Whittle
Interactive Space Design by Amelia Charter
Sound by Brian Freeland

Decaying surfaces, facades wearing slowly away, the gradual revelation of the underlying resilient form: the sculptural/geological process of aging.

This site-specific movement theatre meditation approaches aging as an on-going process of reduction toward a fully exposed self. It explores the experience of those layers deteriorating through pressure, friction, and time, leaving us exposed and vulnerable; and it seeks the firm, clear core underneath that only grows stronger under these pressures.

Control Group Productions, the permanent resident dance company of The Packing House Center for the Arts, approaches live performance as a single medium, ignoring the articificial boundaries of traditional genres. Through seeking the material that best fulfills each project concept, CGP creates unique new works that span the spectrum of dance, theatre, music, and visual art.

Created in residency at The Bindery | Space.

This work contains nudity and may not be appropriate for all audiences.

For more information, contact patrick@controlgroupproductions.org, 303-947-2827, or visit www.controlgroupproductions.org.