When asked how he first approached professional photography, Moncho Vallejos likes to say that his first camera took him to a theatre and showed him how to snap.
“From a very early stage in life, I was grown to understand the importance of art and culture, to observe sensibly my surroundings and learn from them,” he says. “My first photo in movement, it didn’t go alright; but with practice, I’ve managed to achieve some good shots!”
Dance is what he knows. It’s the family business and his sister is a dancer. “I’d always go with my mother to drop my sister at class, sometimes even wait for the entire lesson to be over,” Moncho explains. “That’s how I became interested in dancing. On top of performing it, capturing it in moments.”
This picture was taken on July 29, 2011 in Mérida, Yucatán, México; at “Operación Bailarina Estudio 4: Gala”, an event that brought together some of the best dancers in Yucatán and guest performers from Camagüey, Cuba’s own city ballet. In the image we see one of the guest performers, Daynelis Muñoz, doing an original choreography of Tania Vergara, “Tango Para Nos” (Tango For Us)
About the photographer: Moncho Vallejos is a Communication Major and, in his free time, a photographer. His family owns and operates a Dance Studio, so his bonds with dancing are strong. Find him on Flickr:
www.flickr.com.mx/monchovallejos or follow on Twitter: @mnxo
Nichelle Suzanne is a writer specializing in dance and online content. She is also a dance instructor with over 20 years experience teaching in dance studios, community programs, and colleges. She began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. As a Houston-based dance writer, Nichelle covers dance performance for Dance Source Houston, Arts+Culture Texas, and other publications. She is a leader in social media within the dance community and has presented on blogging for dance organizations, including Dance/USA. Nichelle provides web consulting and writing services for dancers, dance schools and studios, and those beyond the dance world. Read Nichelle’s posts.
