Happy Thanksgiving! As we take a break here at our studio this weekend to spend time with our families, we want to wish you all a great day off and to take a moment to be grateful for all of you, our readers, clients, friends. Love to you all.

To those of you who are entering Nut season, we wish you happy dancing and an injury free season, see you on the other side!

Alexandra Martin, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville NYC

We are heavily into the throws of audition photo season, and I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that is coming up more and more this year: Energy and Emotion!

In our dance photography studio, we shoot images in a particular order. First we figure out the moment or pose. Next we set the lighting. Then we take some time to fine tune the movement so that the dancer’s lines and technique look their best. Then we start working with the emotional content that is the driving force behind what we do as communicators. Without that, we have a bland shot that never really lifts off the ground.

Andrew Daly, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville NYC

I find that this order is essential: our brains are actually not hard wired to multitask! We can in any split second only think about one thing. So in order to really accomplish our goals in dance photography, we need the body to develop a little muscle memory as to the best lines possible for a shot (if you have’t had the chance to drop by the studio to watch or participate in a shoot, you’ll just have to take my word for it, what we do in front of the camera is often quite different than how we dance on stage). Once we have that achieved, by shooting a movement several times to get it ‘into’ you, we can tackle the impetus behind the movement successfully.

Billie Marder, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville NYC

You would be surprised at how different a shot looks when it includes an emotional component from a dancer. Lines change, tension is added or let go, freedom is allowed and you have a chance to really give your ‘audience’ a moment of your soul. That’s where we grab people, that’s what turns heads and gets attention. The moment you move beyond the physical and into the personal connection… the images become wonderful and we access our viewers’ internal dialogue in a way that movement alone cannot.

Food for thought this lovely weekend.

I often am asked how I come up with some of my narrative work, where the ideas come from.  To be honest, I imagine it’s a similar process to writers: you write what you know… I shoot themes and images that come to me through personal experiences combined with inspiration shots I am continually gathering. But the Gallery was different.

The process for the shot that we call ‘The Gallery’ started with a conversation with a dancer named Andrew Daly. In this conversation, I asked him to relay to me a few personal stories or events from his life that were highly emotionally charged and relevant. I was looking for his story, for a level of emotional availability that would be fairly easy to access in a photo shot.

Accessing emotional poignancy is a difficult thing for dancers to achieve in a photo shoot. They are often preoccupied with looking good physically.  That concern, along with the absence of the stage lights and the trust that forms between the performer and the black hole of the audience, means that I need to find just the right ‘trigger’ in a photo shoot that can get them to go to that emotional place.

Andrew was very forthcoming with me, telling his stories with enough detail that immediate images started to form in my head.

Andrew Daly, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Selecting one of his stories to create, we moved back to the emotional content when shooting by selecting the right music, taking the time needed to get into the shot and to slow the energy to roll through his body. With some specific directions related to the shapes I was looking for, Andrew was able to give me multiple, really fantastic versions in a relatively short amount of time.

I truly enjoy creating with other artists in this collaborative way.  While I am a dance photographer first and foremost, working with lines and shapes is what I do on a daily basis. Going beyond that to pull out and create stories that we can all connect with on a deeper level is what I love to do most.  And I am so happy to share it with you.

Happy holiday season! Everyone likes a little behinds the scenes peek every now and then right? Yesterday in a shoot we started talking about all the little tricks I have to solve problems that come up for dancers in our studio and we thought we’d give you a little Holiday Grab Bag of odd, unique and interesting tidbits. It’s like the proverbial ‘what’s in your dance bag’ articles in Dance Magazine, but for dance photography!

Now, you know me, I like to give out real info, no fluff posts here! We are not advertising for anyone and we are not getting paid by anyone to push their products. This is a list of real problem solvers that we have researched for dance photography clients, found through clients and vendors, or sourced as a way to solve a problem we were working through in the studio. Everyone has a unique opinion on what works and what doesn’t.  These are just mine and I am happy to share them with you!

1) Ever been in a class or rehearsal space where they won’t let you use rosin but you are slipping all over the place or in a photoshoot with a photographer who wasn’t a dancer and doesn’t understand that the quality of the floor is important?

I spent about a year working on this one: when we use paper backgrounds in the studio, dancers slip. It’s dangerous, and I’m all about dancer’s safety (to the point where we actually put in a sprung floor when we built my photography studio in Long Island City!).

We tried water, soda, traditional rosin, roughing up the platforms of shoes with a scraper, even a solution that dries sweaty palms for aerialists. Some solutions were better than others, but most left marks on our paper that cost me a lot of retouching time. Then I had a pole dancer into the studio last year, Phoenix introduced me to.. wait for it… Firm Grip by Cramer. It’s an anti slip spray, a ‘natural rosin formula’ that we order from Amazon. Better and cheaper than the spray rosin from Chacotte. Spray it straight on your shoes, not on the paper or floor.

2) Occasionally we have dancers in the studio that have super fine, slippery hair. Or, sometimes we want to create a crazy up-do that requires a lot of help.

Two years ago I had a makeup and hair person introduce us to Powder Play from BigSexyHair. Little red bottle, (again, I Amazon it), shake it like baby powder on your hair and presto, it’s like rosin for your hair!!! Awesome!

3) Still searching for leotards that actually look good on you?

If you haven’t already, get a copy of our Leotard Guide.

4) Don’t have the best feet in the world? Interested in using fake arches under your tights?

Listen, we don’t like to talk about it. We like everything to be ‘all us’. But if you are a totally awesome dancer but blessed with average feet, sometimes a little help boosts the confidence. I won’t tell you how many dancers I work with that use them, but I can tell you some of them have gotten jobs, and that’s what it’s about sometimes right? I had a dancer in recently whose mom bought her the best things to use… Nipple Concealers!!!!

Yes you read that right. We have found most fake arches to look, well, fake. They don’t like to stay in place, they can be too bulky, sometimes you need a sock that bunches to go over them to hold them down. Bunhead Smoothies are the best… they kind of stick to your foot, are just slightly big enough to be realistic and just smooth out your line. I saw them for myself, 3 hours later in a shoot and they hadn’t moved and still looked good.

5) It’s hair static time!

A handy little trick when you don’t want to wet your hair in a shoot but the flyaways are flying: use a dryer sheet to smooth over those areas gently.  You won’t crush any curls or shift the blowout but you will tame the strays. If you don’t have a dryer sheet, you can use Static Guard: don’t spray it on your hair (it smells a little toxic), spray it on a paper towel then smooth your hair!

6) One of my favorite makeup artists, James, begins his sessions with dancers by doing their eyes first.

That way any powder droppings from shadows and liners are easily brushed away before the foundation is applied, rather than having to ‘fix’ the foundation. Yah, can’t believe we hadn’t thought of that one before, right?

7) James is also currently using a for contouring cheekbones a neutral toned check color (not pinks or reds) and dipping the brush lightly in grey before applying.

Genius right? This is what shadows actually are, an area where there is less light. To a photographer this makes perfect sense, because shadows are actually grey areas, to increase them we sometimes just decrease the density of the light, which we do by adding darkening down the area, not shifting the color.

Finally, the one you’ve been waiting for…

8) What tights are best for photoshoots?

There really isn’t a definitive answer here.  Ever dancer has favorite tights for different reasons. Some dancers like a soft waistband, others like hard. Some like mesh, others do not…

The list of preferences goes on and on, but here are my guidelines:

Avoid pink tights.  Most shoot slightly blue or green tinged, particularly the more they are washed, and they give your legs the stuffed white tube look. Tights that are as close to your skin tone are best, the thinner the better for a photo shoot. The flip side to that is that they run easily, so make sure to pack two pairs. Also look for a softer waistband that doesn’t pull your skin in at the waist.

I do not like Capezio tights. There, I said it. I feel so politically incorrect! I do like that they make a low rider version that goes under low backed Yumiko leos well, but their color does not shoot well.

I do like Gaynor Minden Natural/Classic mesh – very thin, soft and excellent color. Probably the best color out there. Unfortunately, the gusset on these stretches out quite a bit and is a pain to retouch. Take heart, I’m told that they are aware of this and will more than likely be fixing it soon.

I also like American Movement tights. Supper soft and do not shoot blue, but the mesh can be a little orange before the first several washes. The gusset on these: excellent.

Finally, I love the shadowing on the performance version of Zarely wear tights. I create that shadowing on my dance photography clients with lighting, but the added extra there is just subtle enough not to be noticed by the average eye and to have the desired effect if you don’t have the lighting to work with. There is a cooler color tone to these tights, so if you have a warm skin tone your photographer may have to adjust the color on your legs.

One More Gift for My Readers

For all my blog readers, I thought you might like a shot at picking up our Human Nature Calendar! For the next week, you can use the code BLOG15 to receive 15% off to purchase this beautiful, great-for-Christmas Lists present!

Lots of love to you all in this holiday season,

Rachel

From my days of dancing in Germany back in the 90s I have always held in the highest esteem William Forsythe’s work. Indeed, we used to travel down to Frankfurt when we could, to see the company perform.  It was such an amazing group of dancers on the cutting edge at that time.

So when I got an email last December from Boston Ballet asking if I could come up and shoot marketing material for their full length production of Artifact choreographed by William Forsythe, you can imagine my reaction. I’m not the type of person to be star struck but I have to say I was a little worried I’d be able to speak normally!

What a highlight of my year! The Boston Ballet dancers were lovely and fun to work with. Bill actually sees lines and shapes the way I do so the shoot went extremely smoothly and we accomplished a large number of great shots in a shorter amount of time than we expected. It was such a pleasure to work with a choreographer who speaks the way I do, and the dancers were so engaging and giving of their energy.

I can’t wait to make the trip up to Boston to see the production.  If you are in the area don’t forget to get your tickets!

Hey guys, this just dropped into my email box this morning, it was in a marketing email put out by an artist I follow.  I’m always on the look out for interesting thoughts on anything that applies to dancers and artistic types, I hope you find this timely and helpful!  The quoted text below is from Brainard Carey.

(Stay tuned next week for a post I’m working on about effective use of hands for stage and in front of the camera!)

“‘Build your self-esteem by not thinking about it.’ So tweeted Yoko Ono recently and it got me thinking about the trap of confidence and self-esteem. For everyone, and perhaps for those in the arts especially, self-esteem and confidence can be fraught topics. Artists spend their lives exposing that which is innermost and personal. Not only do we put the depths of our being out into the world, we also open ourselves up to judgment by all who encounter this very personal work. Together, these things can make for a harsh environment at times.

It is easy to get caught up in a cycle of constant worry about self-confidence and self-esteem. We feel as though we must focus on these things in order to be sure they are up to the task of protecting us from the slings and arrows of the every day. Like anything, the more we dwell on these things the less we allow ourselves to truly live. It is all too easy to get caught in the trap of inner monologue and forget that there is a whole world happening around us…

Artists must expose themselves to annihilation again and again. That is not to say that they must constantly face harsh criticism for their work. Of course this is always a possibility, but when we refer to annihilation here we mean simply the very act of exposing our work to the world. This is how we escape the trap of constant worry about confidence and self-esteem. This is how we build it by not thinking about it.

The bottom line is that we do not need to understand the root cause of every single feeling and action. Rather we need to discontinue the behavior, in this case a rotating inner dialogue about our own worth and abilities, and replace with action. For those of us in the arts, this could feel entirely counter-intuitive. An inward focus is part and parcel of what we do so letting go of this can be a struggle. It takes intentional action to remove ourselves from the whirlpool of self-doubt that can cause us to ultimately freeze up. By taking small actions every day, exposing ourselves, despite the fear, to those situations that push us outside our comfort zone we begin to build new habits. This is one way of interpreting the words of Yoko Ono. This is one way to ‘build your self-esteem by not thinking about it.'”

The above is written by Brainard Carey, artist, author and educator. To sign up for a free webinar from Brainard Carey and get a booklet on how he got into the Whitney Biennial, click here  To learn more about his educational opportunities for artist click here to learn about Praxis Center for Aesthetics.

How to make your hands look good in photographs… let’s talk.

Dance photographers from New York City and throughout the country have reached out to me requesting help with their photography work. Because I am so passionate about helping dancers create great content for their marketing and because I truly love what I do in my Long Island City photography studio every day, I am excited to be able to share some of my knowledge with my fellow dance photographers through an upcoming two-part, weekend long photography workshop.

At the workshop, we’ll be reviewing and discussing existing images, talking about how to make improvements, and how to build on the work photographers have done. We will also be creating an ‘I’d kill to be able to shoot’ list to help photographers pinpoint and achieve their goals.

Mary Hansohn, Dancer Photographer Rachel Neville

For those who are interested, take a peek at the workshop. We have very few slots left, but if you are interested, drop me a line. We are putting together a waiting list, and a list for future workshops.

Day 1: Discussion with Photographers and Opportunity to Photograph Dancers

Some of the topics we will cover include shooting in the studio vs. shooting outdoors, photography gear and equipment, strategies for working with different types of dancers, and how to become aware of what dancers need in a dance photo shoot.

We will cover techniques from timing and focusing to camera functions, lens choices and some of the basics of lighting.

To round out Day 1 of the Rachel Neville Photography Workshop, we will discuss and put into practice tools for working the shoot effectively. From working with contemporary dancers vs. classical dancers, to understanding studio lighting and how to set up and work with tethering, workshop participants will gain solid footing in dance photography best practices.

Juliette Bosco, Dancer Photographer Rachel Neville

Day 2: Next Steps and More Practice with Dancers

On our second day of the photography workshop, we will look at timing shoots to get the most from your dancers, posing and working with a dancer’s lines, and individual vs. group photo shoots. We will also tackle the important topic of communicating with dancers, which includes understanding model agreements, licenses and usage.

We will dive deeper into the business of dance photography and techniques for creating high quality dance marketing materials. We will look at lighting for the body and mood, working with props, and tips for refining post production skills.

Day 2 will wrap with more time working directly with dancers, putting into practice everything we are covering in the workshop

It is a privilege to share knowledge with the dance photography industry and to help to build skills that deliver better experiences and better images and marketing materials for dancers.

Sometimes we all need a little inspiration to do what we love, to live in love, and to spread love through our work and through our art.

Here is hoping that today is a day full of love, light, and inspiration for each and every one of you.

Dancers Yui Sugawara and Jun Xia of Hong Kong Ballet Photo Rachel Neville

Find more inspiration on the blog and jump over to Facebook to tell us about how you spread love through dance today.

Makeup skills are important for dancers.  The right makeup techniques are help you to present yourself on stage and off stage exactly the way you need to.

Because we are committed to helping dancers develop their careers using all the tools at their disposal, we are excited to be able to offer a brand new Makeup for Dancers Workshop with James Milligan.  James Milligan is our resident makeup artist, familiar to many of the dancers who come to our Long Island City dance photography studio.

If you have worked with James, you know that he has an incredible depth of knowledge and talent, matched with a love for sharing his techniques, and his art, with others.  At the makeup workshop, James will share his amazing makeup tips and helpful suggestions that will have you feeling confident in your makeup skills for events, for photoshoots, and for the stage.

The Rachel Neville Makeup Workshop for Dancers

Friday, May 5, 2017
Rachel Neville Photography Studio
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
$125 per person

We have a limited number of seats available, so please, sign up now!

Learn more about how important makeup is for dance photos, dance auditions and the stage.

We just wrapped up our first group photography workshop for dance photographers this past weekend, and I can truly say that  I think we all had such a wonderful time!

Share Your Experience

Did you attend our Dance Photographer Workshop?  Give us your feedback and remember to stay connected for more!

We have been so busy in the studio and want to take a few moments to share some of the work we have been doing in the past few months for dancers, dance companies and more.

Today, we are taking a look back at the marketing campaign that we helped to create for Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Last year I had the pleasure of working with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and crafting their marketing campaign for the upcoming year.

We worked with Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson on a concept, deciding to highlight the strength, authenticity and artistry of the company’s dancers through the lens of Americana.

We worked with fashion stylist James Sanders, to put together a bold yet vintage look and the results were incredible. So excited to finally share these images from our shoot!

Marketing.  It’s a vague, distant word for many dancers, something that companies and corporations do, right?  Not any more.

So many businesses and dance companies fail every year (the statistics are pretty depressing so we won’t go there).  I have a hunch that much of that has to do with the energy and resources put into producing but not put into marketing.  Trust me, I have first-hand experience with this.

I came to New York City ten years ago with $5,000 dollars in my pocket, without contacts, family, or even a job.   I thought, like everyone else, that if I just worked really hard and put my best work out there, that I would succeed, that somehow, people would find me and want to work with me.  If I just kept getting better, somehow just putting that energy out there would get me jobs and allow me to pay my rent.  Yeah… no.

I got smart after my kids were born.  I got a business coach.  I started working the marketing.  I hustled like I never thought possible (yes, while being sleep deprived and changing diapers, too!).  I learned as much as I could about business.  I got help. I read and I talk to other business owners about marketing strategies.  And slowly, over time I built a business.

Dancers and dance companies are not any different.

I have come away after the last many years of being a pro photographer, appalled at the lack of business classes offered when I was in college.  There were certainly none offered to me as a dancer and dance student.

But today is different.  We are living in the world of social media.

Let’s face it, dancers don’t make a ton of money.  I’ve been there.  I know what your world is.  So I’m committed to dancers and dance companies who need to maximize the hard work, time and investment you have spent getting to where you are.

How can I help?

I’m going to start posting on this blog resources for your own personal marketing.  Let’s make it easy, let’s make it a little bit fun, and let’s keep you all moving toward success.

Today, I want to introduce you to important marketing ideas while helping you to maximize your time while you are focused on your day-to-day demands and responsibilities with some easy-to-listen-to podcasts that start the marketing conversation.

There are tons of marketing podcasts out there if you just take a minute and these are good ones to get you started.No, none of these are geared specifically toward marketing for dancers or dance companies.  But listen closely for those little take-aways that can help you on your path.  You never know where the good ideas will come from, and the more you are in the conversation, the more things will start rolling.

Make sure to sign up so that you don’t miss any of our coming conversations on this topic, I know you’ll want to get in on this!

Here are some marketing podcasts to help your personal brand or company brand:

Social Media Social Hour
Tyler has several podcasts that are interesting, have a look at his list before downloading to find the best marketing tips for you.

Social Media Marketing Podcast by Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner
Michael Stelzner is the man!

This American Life
This feed is about storytelling, not so much marketing.  It’s a crucial tool used in marketing. 

More on marketing for dancers and dance companies coming soon!

We are excited to announce that we are heading back to San Francisco this summer… and we’re bringing our studio with us!

You heard that right, friends, we will be making the trip across the country with props, fabrics, outfits, outfits and more.

Dancers left to right: Lauren Aureus, Kaeli Ware, Emilia Sandoval, Noelle Lee

This adventure is  all about unleashing your creativity and we are making sure to make that possible.

San Francisco Photo Shoot Dates with Rachel Neville

Rachel Neville Photography will be shooting in San Francisco Friday, August 25th through Monday, 28th.

To book a shoot, drop us a line and we will send you the info!

Ok, let’s get started!

Marketing for Dancers: Find Your Strengths

There are many elements of good marketing. Most companies think about their print, social media, Google ads and product placement, just to name a few. How does all of this translate to dancers?

Does it feel a little overwhelming?

Let’s begin by defining the question of how marketing relates to dancers in a different way.

For good marketing all the gurus out there talk about having in-depth knowledge of your product (in the case of a dancer, that’s you) and who your target audience or ‘ideal customer’ is.

Today, let’s take some time to explore the first part of the equation: knowing who you are. As dancers we often live in a world of negative comments, ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘she’s so much better than I am’ – the constant stream of daily corrections and judgment.

Please take that hat off now. Right now. Sure, those can be productive conversations to have, within context, to drive you forward and achieve your goals. However, those kinds of conversations do not serve you 100% of the time and now is one of those times. Put that little man on your shoulder to rest right now, you do not need his whisperings here.

Sophia John Cox, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Sit down and write a list of your strengths, all of them. Personality traits, dancing strengths, cool things you are interested in, quirky or unique characteristics, why your friends love you, why you are in love with beetle bugs… whatever it is, put it all down.

Now, sit with this for a day or so. Come back again with fresh eyes and really see who you are on paper.

What are the areas that light you up?

What do you love?

What are the types of pictures, comments, articles, hangout places, cookies, performances, companies, that interest you and motivate you?

These are the things that help your audience get to know you.  Through your dance marketing, you will set up your ‘locker wall’ – your presence.

Then what?

Think about the right time to start marketing yourself as a dancer. There are some schools of thought that it’s better for young dancers to focus on their craft, to have life experiences and wait until they are older and really have something to say before making themselves heard and putting themselves out there.

Mikayla McKean, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

There are other thoughts that run the exact opposite, that one should start super early.  Indeed we have all seen the Instagram accounts run by ‘mom’, with run-of-the-mill posts that don’t have the voice of the dancer.

I don’t have all the answers here. I do know that dancers on a pre-professional tract need to start their personal marketing when they are a couple of years away from getting a job. I’m also a mom of two young girls and I cringe at seeing kids under twelve on social media, particularly with questionable pictures of backbends and crotch shots.

But I certainly don’t think, in the world we are living in, that you want to wait until you are a soloist in a company before you start sharing your voice, and your value.

Do you want to distract from your training and life by becoming obsessed with your marketing? Certainly not. Please do not take these marketing tips as an excuse to take foot selfies between classes.

Georgina Pazcoguin, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Do what feels right, a little bit at a time. And do consider the added value to your company when you are hired if you have a following that will buy tickets to come see you.

Do think about the workshops or classes that might add to your income in your off season if you have a number of followers. We are here to disband the myth of the starving dancer, right?

Read the first post in our Marketing for Dancers Series.

Sign up to get Marketing Series posts delivered directly to your Inbox.

Kaeli Coleman and Forrest Rain Olivers, Dancers Photo Rachel Neville

Keys to Good Networking

Ok, let’s dive right in!

In our last post on this topic two weeks ago we delved into who we are as a ‘product,’ getting to know ourselves in depth without wearing that judgment hat. We also looked at the appropriate time to start working on marketing, and the value you bring to the dance companies that hire you when you bring your social media following to them.

This week it is time to look at who you want to target as a dancer, the type of audience or listeners’ eyes that will be attracted to your content. Who are they? Where are they? What are their interests? What’s going to get them to become interested in our stories? and What will keep them engaged?

To answer these questions and come up with a strategy, take a moment now to do this exercise with me.

Step 1: Find your Tribe

To begin, think outside of your current family and friends, then do the following to come up with your thoughts on who will understand and be interested in the same things you are.

Imagine and then write down anyone that pops into your head who you think might be a good fit for your ‘product.’  Another way to think of this, who do you want to follow you?

Is it the younger crowd on Snap and Instagram who are dancers?

Is it dance wear companies?

Other dancers or non-dancers?

Ashley Mayeux of Alvin Ailey dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Step 2: Understand your Audience

Once you have this general list, start more specific lists that give you more information about the audience you are building, including the following: likes, dislikes, what they eat for breakfast (or not, lol), what type of clothes they like, what their concerns are, what are they worried about, what they love.  Remember to flush this out well.

The purpose of this second step is to start to match what you are passionate about with the types of content you post and to feed into what is interesting for your followers. We’ll be talking more about that content in the next post, sign up here to make sure that you don’t miss that next segment.

In the meantime, here at Rachel Neville Photography, we have some exciting new content coming in the next two months, just in time for you to make the most of shooting this summer!

A new video series that addresses dancer concerns and starts to teach you all the basics of translating movement from 3D into 2D.

Get on our list now to have the videos sent directly to your Inbox, for free.

So, in the previous posts we talked about who you are as a dancer, artist, teacher, cupcake eater… and then we looked into who you might like to serve with your content, who you want to connect with.  This group is your target audience. What are their interests? What do they like to do for fun, where do they hang out…  you are exploring all of these questions to get to know your ‘tribe.’

Now, we are ready to match up your content so that, through your posts, you are speaking to your target audience while still being true to yourself. If you are not the type of dancer to post pictures of yourself everyday, that is OK! Followers that you connect with are going to be interested in the same things you are interested in, and the same things that you find interesting.

Jaden Grimm, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

For example, maybe your first love is dance, but you also love to go to museums… talk about that! Alert your followers to cool things that you see, talk about why you think they are cool, and then support them and communicate with them when they respond to you.

Do remember that strategically placed and quality pictures of yourself are necessary, but you do not have to push out content constantly if that doesn’t suit you.

Remember to keep your ‘tribe’ in mind.   If you want to model for fit companies, you need to have images of you in their clothing so that you can tag them. Talk about the clothing in a real way, not in that over-the-top way that you know you just turn off of when you see, but in an authentic way that the brand, and ultimately, all of your followers, can connect with.

These are just a couple of examples to get you going.  The most important thing is to get going.  See what works, what doesn’t, and then re-group.

Sienna Calvin, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

We’ll be posting videos on these topics later this summer and going even more in-depth with marketing tips for dancers, dance teachers and dance companies.  Add your email address here and we’ll make sure you know when our marketing videos are available, even before we share them with our larger group.

Summer Reminder – Catch Rachel Neville in San Francisco

We have a very limited number of slots available for dance photo shoots with Rachel Neville in San Francisco Friday, August 25th through Monday, August 28th.

Book your San Francisco photo shoot with Rachel Neville now.

We have entered one of my favorite times of year as a dance photographer.  This is the time of year my dancers reach out to me to share the news that they have landed dance contracts.

There is so much joy as my dancers tell me about their new dance jobs and as they share how their audition experiences helped them get where they have been working so hard to go.  It is never lost on me how lucky I am to be able to to work with amazing, passionate artists, dancers who embrace career preparation and marketing and are able to see and to celebrate the results.

At Rachel Neville Photography, we see what I believe is an above-average number of dancers getting professional dance jobs.

Join me in celebrating their successes!

Doria Worden – Apprentice at Madison Ballet
Kristin Cowger – Richmond Ballet
Sarah Minton – Trainee at Richmond Ballet
Sophie Nelson – Corps de Ballet, Carolina Ballet
Amarachi Korie – Apprentice for Ailey II
Gillian Fitz – Bavarian State Ballet

Gillian Fitz, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Taylor Lim – Teatrul de Balet Sibiu
Gloria Benagalia – Houston Ballet

Gloria Benaglia, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Amanda Valentino – Houston Ballet II
Kellie Fulton – Pennsylvania Ballet II
Daisy Jacobson – Los Angeles Dance Project
Emilia Sandoval – Nashville Ballet II
Amber Ray – Stuttgart Ballet

Amber Ray, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Katherine Duffy – David Palmer’s Rochester Ballet
Virginia Lensi – Apprentice at
Jessica Cobb – Columbia Classical Ballet
ABTScout Inghilterra – Trainee at Richmond Ballet

Scout Inghilterra, Dancer Photo Rachel Neville

Congratulations, dancers!  Kudos to all of you for your dedication in the studio and for your commitment to launching your dance careers using smart marketing approaches, good research and absolute dedication.

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