FOUR AMBASSADORS IN WAKEFIELD

 

Young ballerina in pink tutu and pointe shoes poses gracefully outdoors near a modern glass building.
Woman in black sports bra, shorts, cap, and knee-high boots posing outdoors near modern railing.
A ballet dancer in a red leotard performs an arabesque on pointe on a cobblestone street.
A dancer poses confidently in a black bodysuit with mesh sleeves against a graffiti brick wall outdoors.

This past weekend, I headed down the road from my home in North Yorkshire to the West Yorkshire city of Wakefield. It’s a city I know incredibly well, having lived nearby over a decade ago, and it remains one of my absolute favourite backdrops for dance photoshoots. Wakefield offers such a brilliant variety of scenery and architecture - from the sleek, modern glass-fronted buildings in the regenerated area around Westgate railway station and CAPA College, to the historic grandeur of the civic quarter.


It was an official dance ambassador photoshoot day, and I had four talented dancers joining me for individual sessions - Catelin, Nadia, Maisie, and Tara. These fantastic dancers represented three brilliant northern schools: NKH Performing Arts and Sabatino Performing Arts Academy in Hull, and DQ Dance Academy in Barnsley.


When you plan these shoot days months in advance, the British weather is always a gamble. After the intense heatwave of the previous few days, I was incredibly pleased to see the thermometer staying well below 30°C!


As always, I like to get an early start to capture the best morning light. We kicked things off at 7:30 AM with my first ambassador of the day, which meant my alarm woke me up at 5:30 AM. Personally, I think an alarm that early should be illegal on a Sunday!

Young woman in flat cap and black outfit crouching on cobblestone path beside historic stone building.

Catelin


Catelin started the morning for us in the 7:30 AM slot, and despite that early alarm, she arrived full of energy and ready to create.


We began the session in Burgage Square, just around the corner from CAPA College. This area is fantastic because it offers a wealth of background options in a relatively small space - from sleek glass-fronted buildings and modern balustrades to vibrant, flowery green areas. It’s a contemporary urban setting that lends itself beautifully to both classical ballet and sharp, modern commercial styles.


Catelin began the shoot beautifully en pointe, wearing a gorgeous pastel pink leotard with a matching skirt that contrasted wonderfully against the architecture. From there, we transitioned styles completely, heading into the historic civic quarter for a brilliant Peaky Blinders inspired look, before finishing up the session with a more casual, relaxed vibe.

A ballet dancer in pink attire poses gracefully at a railing surrounded by vibrant purple lavender flowers.
A smiling ballerina in pink leotard and pointe shoes poses gracefully on an urban sidewalk beside blooming lavender plants.
A ballet dancer in pink performs an arabesque on pointe outdoors against an urban wall.
A ballet dancer in pink poses gracefully against a magenta door at Bank House No.1 in a stone building.
Young woman in black cap and suspenders poses on a stone ledge before a grand historic building with flowers.
Young woman in white top, black suspenders, cap, and boots poses before a large window with monochrome portrait.
Young woman in black hat, suspenders, and boots poses dynamically before ornate iron gates.
Young woman in grey top and black joggers posing against a red brick wall on a cobblestone street.
Young woman smiling and posing against a red brick wall on a cobblestone street wearing a grey sweater and black pants.
Gymnast in purple leotard performs a split outdoors near a modern glass building with colorful signs in Ossett, UK.

NADIA


The second photoshoot of the day was with Nadia, who is now a third-year veteran on my dance ambassador team.


By this point in the morning, the wind had really picked up, and managing my Godox AD600 with a 42" softbox was becoming a real challenge. Since I was shooting without an assistant, Nadia’s mum kindly stepped in to hold the light stand. The final straw came when a huge gust nearly took her with it as the whole rig attempted to launch into orbit! At that point, I decided to play it safe, switching mostly to natural light and popping a smaller Godox speedlight onto the camera where necessary.


We started the session outside the modern court building with its striking glass frontage. Nadia wore a simple, elegant pale purple leotard and went barefoot for these initial photos. She is incredibly comfortable in front of the camera, and her smile absolutely lit up the frame - in fact, the very first shot of the day, with her posing simply against the glass, was an instant keeper.

For her first wardrobe change, she switched into her stunning new teal modern competition costume. To wrap up the session, she changed one last time into a beautiful burgundy leotard and matching skirt for some dramatic photos en pointe.


It is always such a pleasure to shoot with Nadia and her mum. They always bring plenty of creative ideas to the table - sometimes a little crazy, but they always work out beautifully!

A blonde dancer in a lavender leotard and tights poses gracefully beside a modern building's reflective glass window.
A blonde dancer in a purple leotard performs an elegant ballet pose on a concrete ledge outside a modern building.
A graceful dancer balances on a stone pillar outdoors in a lavender leotard, striking an elegant pose with legs raised.
Ballerina in burgundy dress performs a elegant one-legged pose on a cobblestone street outdoors.
Smiling ballerina in burgundy dress poses en pointe on a sunny sidewalk with purple flowers.
Graceful ballerina in burgundy leotard poses en pointe beside a bold blue door on stone steps.
A dancer in a teal jumpsuit leaps gracefully in front of a colorful mural on an urban street.
Dancer in teal jumpsuit stretches gracefully against a tree trunk in an urban outdoor setting.
Flexible dancer in teal jumpsuit performs a standing split on outdoor steps surrounded by green trees.
A stylish woman in black outfit with knee-high boots and cap poses on an urban stone ledge.

MAISIE


Next up was Maisie, who is celebrating her first year on my dance ambassador team.


We were handed a real mixed bag of weather for this session - wind, rain, and bright sunshine all made an appearance. The only thing missing was a flurry of snow! But since we can't control the British weather, there was no point worrying about it. I certainly didn't need to worry about what Maisie was going to wear or do, either, as she arrived prepared with outfits and creative ideas galore.


We headed back down to Burgage Square to kick off her session, focusing on creating a sharp, urban commercial look with her black two-piece set. This was accessorized perfectly with a black cap, and we switched things up by swapping her New Balance trainers for some striking knee-high boots. It was a really strong, confident look that completely suited Maisie’s style.


In complete contrast, she then pivoted to a classic, elegant look - a simple white leotard and tutu, performed en pointe. She happened to have her brown leather jacket with her, and even though it wasn't originally intended for the photoshoot, I suggested throwing it on over the leotard. It added a fantastic, edgy twist to the classical ballet look.


For her final outfit change, Maisie moved into a beautiful pastel yellow leotard paired with a structured blue blazer, remaining en pointe for these photos. It was another incredibly strong style choice that produced some absolutely awesome results.




Woman in black sports bra and shorts crouching by a glass railing in an urban environment.
Woman in black athletic outfit leaning on a glass railing, head tilted back, outdoors.
Woman in black crop top, shorts, knee-high boots, and cap posing outdoors on a paved urban street.
Woman in black sports bra, shorts, and knee-high boots posing by a lamppost in an urban setting.
Woman in black Alo sports bra, mini skirt, and knee-high boots sits on ledge wearing Alo cap outdoors.
A young ballerina in a white tutu and pointe shoes poses gracefully on an urban street.
Ballerina in white tutu and pointe shoes posing gracefully in front of a blue door.
Ballerina in white tutu performing en pointe on an empty urban road outdoors.
A ballet dancer in a white leotard and pointe shoes poses against a brick wall near a max headroom sign.
Ballerina in blue jacket leaping en pointe on a urban street wearing ballet shoes.
Young woman in yellow bodysuit and navy blazer poses gracefully on stone steps before ornate windows.
Woman in blue blazer and yellow bodysuit poses on stone window ledge of ornate arched building.
Young dancer performing a split jump in a black leotard on a cobblestone street outside a stone building.

Tara


The final session of the day was with Tara, and she came armed, as usual, with plenty of ideas - complete with her own photos of herself practicing the poses beforehand. Now that is what I call preparation!


Kicking off the session in a sleek black leotard with striking neon piping, Tara started in Bloch dance socks before adding a pair of boots (which Maisie had kindly lent her) to switch up the vibe. This combination worked incredibly well for a strong, commercial dance style.


She then changed into a teal, zipped leotard for some fantastic poses that really showed off her incredible acro abilities. To finish the day, we captured another great set of photos with Tara in a stunning backless leotard featuring a striking pattern on the front, paired beautifully with a flowing skirt.


Dancer balancing on a pedestal in a black bodysuit with neon pink accents outside a Town Hall building.
Woman posing on stone steps in a black mesh bodysuit with neon pink zip and black boots by a green door.
Woman in black bodysuit with neon accents and mesh sleeves poses confidently against a silver corrugated metal wall.
A flexible dancer in a teal leotard performs a stunning vertical leg split outdoors in an urban setting.
Young woman in teal swimsuit lying on outdoor steps with legs raised, surrounded by colorful garden flowers.
A flexible dancer performs a backbend handstand against a gray brick wall on an urban sidewalk.
A graceful dancer in a black skirt poses barefoot beside a street pole in an urban setting.
A female dancer leaps gracefully in a black dress among colorful garden flowers outside a modern building.
A dancer in a black backless outfit poses gracefully against a rustic red brick wall outdoors.
Two women in matching red crop tops perform synchronized dance poses on an urban street surrounded by trees.

Maisie & Tara


In between Maisie and Tara’s individual sessions, the girls collaborated on a few ideas for some duo shots.


They perfectly matched their outfits, pairing a vibrant red crop top with black Bloch dance pants and black dance socks. It was a visually striking look, and their great chemistry and sharp poses produced some fabulous images of the pair together.


Even though they don’t attend the same dance school, I absolutely love the fact that they planned ahead to come up with these ideas. It was an excellent display of teamwork and exactly what the ambassador program is all about!


Two young women in red tops and black shorts perform a mirrored dance pose on stone steps outside a historic building.
Two dancers in red tops and black shorts perform synchronized high kicks outdoors on a sunny day.
Two female dancers in red tops and black shorts form a heart shape with their bodies outdoors.

What a day! Four incredible dancers, so many distinct styles, and one fantastic city. Wakefield never disappoints as a playground for dance photography, offering the perfect mix of urban edge and historic charm. By the time I packed up my kit and headed back up the road to North Yorkshire, my feet were aching and my memory cards were completely full - the definitive signs of a highly successful shoot day.

A massive thank you to Catelin, Nadia, Maisie, and Tara (and their brilliant mums and dads!) for bringing so much energy, creativity, and passion to the pavement. Keep an eye out on my social media and the website for more from these photoshoots soon!

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