New York City Ballerinas Through the Eyes of Dane Shitagi (18 photos)

Photographer Dane Shitagi lives in New York City and draws inspiration from the images of his beloved city. In his photo project "Ballerinas of New York," Dane shows how grace and beauty ennoble the emptiness of the metropolis. We invite all art lovers to pause and slowly enjoy these mesmerizing photographs.





Dane Shitagi is a New York-based photographer who professionally photographs dancers, particularly ballet dancers. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, he discovered his passion for photography. Since then, the young man has devoted all his free time to photography.



In 1996, Dane moved to New York City, where he continued his creative work, but increasingly shifted toward portraiture, and soon began photographing dancers. Rather than limit himself to the studio environment, Dane explores all aspects of street photography and the streets of New York City itself, where he photographs. New York City provided a dramatic and honest backdrop for his work, but Dane soon expanded the boundaries of his art, shooting all over the world.

After leaving the studio, Dane set out to explore the shooting possibilities of the metropolis. Yet, it wasn't New York that became the main theme of his work, but ballerinas. The photo project dedicated to the dancer became the highlight of Shitagi's career. Over many years of work, Dane compiled a collection of over 3,000 unique images for this project, working with esteemed ballerinas from around the world. Some of the photographs in this project were shot on film.



In addition to photographing ballerinas, Dane has also photographed such stars as Karlie Kloss, Miranda Kerr, Krysten Ritter, and Coco Rocha. Dane has photographed for commercial clients such as Sony Ericsson, Capezio, Fujifilm, Wolford, Diesel, Palladium Boots, AG Jeans, Starz Network, and Longchamp.



"I like to think that we turn the world into our stage," says photographer Dane Shitagi.

For over two decades, he has collaborated with over 100 professional ballerinas, creating breathtaking images around the world.



These aren't just "photos of dancers," but a collection of portraits that convey the feelings and emotions of extremely talented ballerinas, many of whom dance in the world's most famous theaters.



Dane Shitagi says the project was inspired by "the idea of ​​New York City as a magnet for creativity; each photograph represents a collaboration of dance, costumes, and sets against the backdrop of the cityscape."



The "Ballerina" project is being published as a book with approximately 170 black-and-white and color photographs of over 50 famous ballerinas, captured in unexpected urban and natural locations. The photographs were taken not only in New York, but also in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, London, Rome, and Paris.



The photographs are truly impressive: not only do the ballet dancers perform superhuman feats, but Shitagi also managed to clear the streets so that the dancers are practically alone in their respective environments. The way he managed to free up a New York subway station for a photo shoot is a work of art in itself.