Indigo Lewin captures dancers in intimate moments of performance

Curated by Wayne McGregor CBE, the multi-award-winning director and resident choreographer of The Royal Ballet, this year’s La Biennale di Venezia, 16th International Festival of Contemporary Dance – titled Boundary-Less – asks us to imagine a life without constraint, lived outside of artificial boxes and borderlines.

Fitting the brief, last summer saw London-born photographer Indigo Lewin commissioned by McGregor to document his first year as Artistic Director of the Biennale Danza. Diverting away from traditional dance photography, Lewin took a voyeuristic approach, which sees bodies collide and merge during intimate moments of performance. “Transferring my fascination with the figure, I was captivated by the intimacy found in the body language between the dancers,” said Lewin. “Focusing on physical embrace and interlocking forms, I found that much of the true beauty was to be found in the quiet moments in between shows. Post-rehearsal stretches, sweat- drenched torsos and worn-out socks spoke just as loudly of the essence of dance as the dancing itself.”

Now, a year on, Lewin’s stunning series is showing in the Arsenale – Sala d’Armi A as part of this year’s celebrations, bringing the photographer’s brand of grainy and soul-bearing portraiture to Venice’s sun-kissed festival grounds.