Tuesday, December 31, 2024
William Frederking's Dancer Portrait Project
www.newcitystage.com: Chances are, if you read this magazine—or any other arts publication in Chicago—you’ve seen William Frederking’s work. Check the caption of an image in any dance section in the last thirty years and the odds are better than a coin flip you’ll see it credited to Frederking. The photographer has been capturing lightning in a bottle for over three decades, portraying, as he puts it, “dance artists at the moments when they are fully present with the energy of live performance.”
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William Frederking’s Dancer Portraits take the ephemeral nature of performance and try to capture its energy in a 2D frame in time. In his photo shoots Frederking allows artists to just dance, giving little direction. He then reacts to the performance as he takes photographs, focusing on high energy moments, but more importantly the transitions between these moments. This brings into question the ability to capture the energy of live theatrical performances. Could the spirit of an actor be captured in quite the same way as Frederking has with dancers? By allowing artists to be swept up in their craft as he becomes an audience member. In addition to giving dancers access to their stunning portraits, Frederking donates the portraits to the Newberry Library with the emphasis to cite the name of each dancer he photographs. When you look at the portraits the energy captured inside is truly a sight to behold.
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