Tag Archives: dance flexibility

Senior Dance Portraits with Maddy — A Session Filled with Artistry and Intention

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Some sessions feel less like a photoshoot and more like a collaboration — a shared creative rhythm where everything just clicks. My senior dance portrait session with Maddy, a dancer at West Jersey Youth Ballet, was exactly that kind of experience.

If you know Maddy, you know she’s one of those dancers who naturally draws people in. She’s admired by the younger dancers, trusted by her peers, and respected for her work ethic. But what makes photographing her truly special is her artistic eye. She doesn’t just do a pose — she shapes it, breathes into it, and elevates it.

A Session That Showed Every Side of Her

We started with a quiet, grounded moment: Maddy lacing up her pointe shoes, relaxed and smiling. It set the tone for the entire session — calm, focused, and full of intention.

From there, she moved effortlessly into bold, sculptural shapes. Deep lunges, dramatic backbends, and long, extended lines that filled the studio with energy. She has this rare ability to make strength look effortless and artistry look instinctive.

One of my favorite parts of the session was exploring more conceptual imagery. The umbrella pose — whimsical, elegant, and full of personality — felt like a perfect reflection of her creative spirit. And the green dress moment? Pure magic. The way the fabric caught the air as she turned created a sense of motion you could feel even in a still frame.

Preparing for What Comes Next

Alongside her dance portraits, we created a polished headshot for her upcoming summer internship auditions. Maddy has an exciting season ahead, and it was important to craft something that reflects not just her technique, but her maturity, confidence, and the thoughtful artist she’s becoming.

A Dancer With a Bright Future

Photographing seniors is always meaningful, but photographing a senior who brings this level of artistry is something I don’t take for granted. Maddy’s session was a celebration of everything she’s accomplished — and everything she’s stepping into next.

Below are a few of my favorite images from our time together. Each one captures a different facet of who she is: strong, expressive, creative, and deeply dedicated to her craft.

Senior portrait of Maddy in a dance pose; her arms are gracefully extended as a soft trail of teal and purple powder sweeps around her against a dark, high-contrast background.
A senior dancer in a light green prom dress performing an arched pose against a black background.
A senior dancer in a vibrant multicolor leotard posing playfully with sunglasses.
Dancer reclining over a white block with arms extended overhead and legs stretched out in pointe shoes.
Ballet dancer seated on a white block holding a lace umbrella overhead, posed gracefully on pointe.
Dancer balancing on pointe with one leg extended vertically upward, supported by a white pedestal.
Ballet dancer standing en pointe with one leg lifted behind and both arms curved overhead.
Ballet dancer in a dramatic lunge on pointe with one arm lifted overhead in a studio setting.
Senior dancer sitting on the studio floor, smiling softly while putting on her pointe shoes.
headshot for Maddy a high school senior who dances
Artistic dance portraits for Maddy Gilleland on March 15, 2026. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

If you’re a dancer looking to create your own senior portraits — or preparing for auditions and need updated headshot — I’d love to help you craft something that feels authentically you. Contact me today.

Dance Ambassador Spotlight: Emma (@extendandelevate)

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A young ballet dancer in a white tutu performing a grand jeté leap across a dark stage. Her arms are extended gracefully, and she is framed by warm stage lights and deep blue theater curtains in the background.
Dabour Photography dance ambassadors at the State Theatre of the Arts on September 23, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

Some dancers grow in front of your lens year after year, and watching that evolution is one of the best parts of what I do. Emma (@extendandelevate) is absolutely one of those dancers. Even though this is her first year as one of my dance ambassadors, I’ve been photographing her for years—and every session reminds me just how much talent, drive, and personality she brings to her art.

Emma is known for many things, but her incredible flexibility is always front and center. She gets into poses that make my back hurt, and I’m not even the one doing them! What amazes me most is how effortless she makes it all look. One moment she’s a poised, elegant young woman; the next she snaps into a bold, sassy pose like she flipped a switch from 0 to 100.

A young dancer, Emma, sitting on a stage floor in a white Clara ballet dress and a sparkling tiara. She is smiling while holding a wooden Nutcracker doll, captured against a blue and black smokey background with professional studio lighting.
A young dancer, Emma, in a white Clara ballet dress and pointe shoes, performing a graceful arabesque while holding a Nutcracker doll. She is captured in profile against a dark, smokey background with a bright rim light highlighting her silhouette.
A young ballet dancer, Emma, sitting gracefully on the floor in a white Clara costume with blue trim and a bow in her hair. She is smiling and leaning toward a tall wooden Nutcracker doll, set against a dark, atmospheric studio background with cool-toned floor lighting.

This past season, Emma stepped into the iconic role of Clara in her studio’s production of The Nutcracker. I had the chance to create some beautiful, artistic portraits of her in those costumes, and she brought such grace and storytelling to every frame. It’s a role that demands both technique and heart, and she delivered both with maturity beyond her years.

Emma is also one of those dancers who starts doing the pose before I even finish asking. She listens, interprets, and moves with instinct—and that makes every session with her a creative joy. Whether we’re working on clean classical lines, dramatic lighting, or something playful and expressive, she brings her whole self to the moment.

I’m grateful to have Emma in this year’s ambassador team, and I’m excited for all the portraits, ideas, and creative adventures still ahead. Watching her grow as both a dancer and an artist has been a privilege, and I look forward to photographing her for many more years to come.

Know a dancer or studio looking for artistic dance portraits?
I’d love to help bring their vision to life—feel free to share my work or send them my way!

A ballet dancer in a white leotard and a voluminous white tulle tutu stands on pointe on a dark stage. She has her arms crossed over her chest in a graceful pose against a backdrop of deep blue velvet theater curtains.
A young dance ambassador, Emma, performing an athletic stag jump in an open field at Spruce Run. She is wearing a seafoam green long-sleeved dance top and a black tutu, captured mid-air with a lake and sunlit trees in the background.
A young dancer, Emma, standing confidently on a rock in the middle of a lake. She is wearing a black sleeveless dance top and blue shorts, posing with hands on her hips against a background of sparkling water at Spruce Run.
A young dancer, Emma, performing a graceful leg extension (arabesque) while balancing on one leg on a sandy shore. She is wearing a black dance leotard and a light purple wrap skirt, with the blue water and a cloudy sky of Spruce Run in the background.
A young dancer, Emma, performing an advanced leg extension (scorpian pose) while balancing on one foot. She is wearing a dark, sequined costume with a fringe, captured against a dramatic black background with yellow backlighting and atmospheric fog.
A young dancer, Emma, performing a full straddle split on a reflective studio floor. She is wearing a black sleeveless dance top and leggings, smiling with one arm arched over her head, captured against a misty grey background with soft studio lighting.
A young dancer, Emma, performing a deep lunge on a reflective studio floor. She is wearing a black dance outfit and is captured in a silhouette-style pose with a bright white light shining from behind her, creating a glow through the atmospheric fog.
A young female dancer in a grey top and black leggings performing a one-handed floor balance on a stage. She has one arm on the ground and one leg extended horizontally in a "needle" or tilted scale position, set against a rustic brick wall and colorful blue and red stage lighting.