Photojournalism – Fall 2010

On any given afternoon, you walk into what could be the most beautiful professional dance studio just about anywhere. While the daze of entrancing, glimmering chandeliers begins to subside you find yourself wondering what you’re doing standing in the doorway. Ribbons of energy swirl through the room along side the rhythms of Salsa, Tango, Paso Doble, one right after the other. There is something slightly unusual though.

Everyone in the room is under 25 with most being even half a decade shy. The instructors, secretaries and manager, not a single person an exception to the rule. This is not always the case, however, they are the shining stars that compose 90+ percent of the company. Talented, ambitious young men and women who are world champions and masters, leaping back and forth extending their hand, skill and smile.

Over the years DanceWithMeUsa(.com) has grown into NYC, their first two studios were in Long Island and New Jersey respectively. The staff have become a team which exists outside the studio walls and was brought together by the musical sanctuaries. This room filled with a heap of suns can say dancing never gets boring. When not competing, teaching or attending school in search of higher education, DWM staff have gone from strangers to coworkers to friends to family. They change their professional shoes for their socialite attire and Jive on arm in arm into the night.

I chose to shoot my Baruch swim team as my community assignment. Recently we went to Harriman State Park as team bonding trip which included three miles of hiking, one mile running up and down a hill, and then a BBQ. We created the trip to get to know each other because we have both old and new members. After hiking and running, we divided into two groups to play football while some of our teammates were preparing food. We had a great time on the trip and at the end we really got to know each other. Moreover, we had our first swim meet against William Paterson University and it was a good game. I also chose this because I want to show that we don’t just go to swimming practice and then go home. We do a lot of varied activities with our team.

This collection of photos is about a ‘community’ of soccer players. I photographed my sisters soccer team. Even though there is one main team, the community involved other people than the soccer players. As part of the team there were refs who made sure the game was fair and coaches to assist the players and help score goals. There were spectators who watched, which were mostly parents. Also, players from other teams sat on the side lines and watched the game or practice kicked near the game.