“I’m impressed by their discipline, the rigorous physical training, and the harmony between the soloists and the group,” says Joachim Giesel, explaining his fascination with dance. For twenty years, he has photographed dancers, singers, and actors for the Niedersächsisches Staatstheater (Lower Saxony State Theaters), a multidisciplinary theater in Hanover. Between 1979 and 1999, he attended hundreds of theater, ballet, and opera rehearsals. This professional work is reflected in his archive: nearly a third of the approximately three million images are photographs from the State Theaters. Giesel photographs the ballet stage exclusively during rehearsals and carefully plans how he must navigate the complex choreography and challenging lighting conditions to capture the dancers at their most striking moment. Most of the time, he has only a few seconds to capture the captivating and impressive movements, because he naturally wants to avoid “only seeing the swan die from behind.” Giesel is therefore always on the lookout for that unique perspective. A glimpse behind the scenes is also part of this. For instance, his series Fundus, which won an award at the 1983 Triennale in Novi Sad, offers a look into the prop rooms of state theaters. His photographs are used for brochures and posters or serve as illustrations in program booklets, press articles, and other publications.
His long-standing collaboration with the state theaters is a reliable source of income that enables Giesel to pursue independent projects—such as the series Tänzer-Portraits (Dancer Portraits) (1989), for which he invites dancers into his studio. In 1990, he created a portrait of the French mime artist and director Jean Soubeyran, for which Giesel received the KODAK European Gold Award. Mehmet Balkan, Robert Underwood, and Sonia Santiago are other stars from the ballet world whom he photographed. Giesel gained international recognition in 1997 for designing the annual monthly calendar, published in large print runs, for the British photographic paper manufacturer Ilford. The twelve photographs feature, among other things, ballet dancers on and off stage, as well as striking poses, performing turns, or executing jumps in the studio. Giesel’s photographs capture the essence of dance by portraying the grace, power, and emotion of this art form in innovative compositions featuring spectacular light-and-shadow effects, as well as an aesthetic sensibility that stems from Giesel’s many years of experience and passion for dance.
EMILIA PFEIFFER
| Portrait of Jean Soubeyran (from the series Photo-Portraits aus Hannover (Photo Portraits from Hanover)), Hanover, 1990.
(Silver gelatin baryta paper, 2024)
| Boléro, Hanover, 1990.
(C-print, 2024)
| Scenes from the Ballet Swan Lake, Hanover, 1986.
(C-print, 2024)
| Scenes from the Rock Ballet Warlock, Hanover, 1983.
(Silver gelatin baryta paper, vintage print)