Tag Archives: Rylea

Rylea in the River Fog: A Storm-Kissed Session

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Dance ambassador Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea) joined me for a session in my River Experience series — and the weather had other plans for us. Right before we started, it was a warm 85 degrees. Then a summer downpour rolled through and delayed us, dropping the temperature into the mid-70s by the time we got going. The upside: all that rain left behind a beautiful river fog that became the perfect backdrop for these portraits.

Rylea dances at both West Jersey Youth Ballet and Easton Ballet Academy, and it shows in the control and presence she brought to every pose, fog and all.

Rylea poses in a maroon leotard on a rock in a misty river, one leg extended back, arm raised
Rylea balances on one leg atop a rock as water splashes around her, arms raised overhead, smiling
Rylea stands on a rock with arms raised and eyes closed as water sprays behind her in a misty river
Rylea extends into an arabesque on a rock, arms open wide, water splashing beside her in the misty river
Dance portraits at a nearby river for some of my dance ambassadors. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

Rylea & Becky: A Duet Session Full of Giggles

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My dance ambassador Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea) and her friend Becky, both dancers at West Jersey Youth Ballet, came in for a session built around duets. There were plenty of giggles along the way, but by the end we had some genuinely beautiful images of the two of them together.

I love it when more than one dancer is in the studio at once — they inspire each other, and you can watch them problem-solve a pose together in real time. It shows in the results.

Rylea and Becky dance back-to-back in matching teal costumes, arms raised in mirrored poses
Rylea and Becky pose side-by-side in pink and blue floral costumes, one leg extended behind each
Rylea and Becky face each other with arms crossed and raised, smiling mid-pose
Rylea and Becky sit on white pedestals, leaning toward each other with playful expressions
Rylea and Becky sit together on a pedestal, leaning back to back with legs crossed
Studio dance portrait of Becky and Rylea from West Jersey Youth Ballet striking a graceful pose in her costume.

Rylea’s Summer Studio Session: Duets, Friendship, and a Little Bit of Cupid

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One of my dance ambassadors, Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea), came back to the studio this summer for another session — this time bringing her friend Becky along for a set of duets. Rylea dances at West Jersey Youth Ballet, and it always shows in her lines and control, even in a still photograph.

While she was here, we also carved out time for a few solo portraits, with Rylea in a beautiful pale blue costume with soft floral detailing — something of a cupid-inspired look that suited her perfectly.

Look for the duet images in another blog post. Here are some of my favorites of Rylea alone:

Rylea poses in a pale blue floral costume with a jeweled headpiece, one leg lifted in a passé
Rylea extends one leg behind her in an arabesque, arm reaching forward in her blue costume
Rylea smiles with both arms raised overhead in a V, legs crossed, in her blue cupid-inspired costume
Rylea walks forward with arms open wide, blue chiffon skirt flowing behind her
Rylea and Becky for headshots and dance portraits on July 24, 2026. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

Happy Birthday, Rylea!

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Today we’re celebrating one of the brightest young artists on our ambassador team — Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea). Thoughtful, dedicated, and quietly powerful, she brings so much heart to every session we create together. Whether she’s stepping onto a stage, exploring a new location, or sharing her ideas between shots, she always shows up with intention and grace.

Watching her grow this year — as a dancer, as an artist, and as a collaborator — has been a joy. I’m grateful she’s part of this ambassador family, and I can’t wait to see what she creates next.

Happy Birthday, Rylea!
Here’s to another year of creativity, confidence, and beautiful moments ahead.

Dance Ambassador Spotlight: Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea)

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Some dancers make an impression the moment you meet them — not because they’re the loudest in the room, but because of the quiet confidence they carry with them. Rylea (@balletlifeofrylea) is one of those dancers. This is her first year as one of my dance ambassadors, and from the very beginning she’s shown me exactly why she belongs here.

My first impression of Rylea was that she was soft‑spoken but approachable — the kind of dancer who listens, observes, and then surprises you with thoughtful conversation when you least expect it. In between locations during sessions, she’s always willing to chat, and not with one‑word answers either. She shares what she likes, what she’s working on, what inspires her. Those moments matter to me. They help me understand the dancer behind the technique.

I first met Rylea when she came to me for a headshot session for some summer intensives she wanted to apply to. Even then, I noticed her attention to detail. That trait showed up again during picture day at West Jersey Youth Ballet, her home studio. She reached out afterward because she noticed one of her poses wasn’t included in the final delivery. She wasn’t upset — she was curious. Was it blurry? Was something off? She genuinely liked the pose and wanted to understand. I checked, and she was absolutely right: it was a great image that somehow didn’t make the cut. That level of awareness is rare, especially in a younger dancer.

Fast forward to this year’s ambassador program. I put out a call looking for one or two volunteers to help me test a new location. Within 30 minutes, I had six replies. I figured that was more than enough… and then Rylea messaged me asking if it was too late. I told her I already had more dancers than I needed. Then she mentioned she lived in the town where the shoot was happening. That sealed it — of course she had to come. I invited her to join me the next evening while I was photographing senior portraits, and she fit right into the flow. But then she surprised me and showed up that night not expecting to be photographed – but to support her dance friends!

A young ballet dancer, Rylea, wearing a pale pink tutu and leotard with floral embellishments. She is posing gracefully with her arms raised and a soft smile on a dark stage, illuminated by warm stage lights and sparkling chandeliers at the State Theatre.
Dabour Photography dance ambassadors at the State Theatre of the Arts on September 23, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography
A ballet dancer, Rylea, performing an athletic leap across a wide, dark stage. She is wearing a purple tutu and is captured in a graceful split mid-air, with warm stage lights and a large chandelier visible in the background of the historic theatre.
Dabour Photography dance ambassadors at the State Theatre of the Arts on September 23, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

One of the moments that truly solidified her ambassador status happened at the State Theatre of the Arts in Easton, PA. Most of my ambassadors attended the invite‑only session, but Rylea’s mom let me know she had school picture day and could only stay for the first hour. So we made it work. We started with group portraits on the stage, and then I photographed Rylea first. She may be one of my younger ambassadors, but when she stepped onto that stage, she owned it. Her first few solo portraits were exactly the images I had envisioned when planning the entire event. She didn’t just rise to the occasion — she defined it.

A young male dancer, Elijah, dipped-posing a female dancer, Rylea, on a downtown sidewalk at night. Rylea is wearing a teal and white ombre dance dress, and Elijah is in a blue shirt and white pants. The background features warm glowing bistro lights and a street scene in Easton, PA.
Dance portraits during a photo walk in Easton, PA on Oct 26, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a technical ballet pose while balancing on the stone edge of a large water fountain. She is wearing a teal-to-white ombre dance dress and is captured against the backdrop of the historic Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the cityscape of downtown Easton, PA.
Dance portraits during a photo walk in Easton, PA on Oct 26, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography

Since then, we’ve created even more together: studio sessions, artistic concepts, specialty portraits, and a photo walk in Easton with Elijah that turned into one of those perfect evenings — golden light, great energy, and portfolio‑level images at every stop.

Rylea is thoughtful, dedicated, and quietly powerful in a way that makes you pay attention. I’m grateful she’s part of this ambassador team, and I’m excited for the years ahead — especially the duets I already see forming in my mind.

Here’s to many more sessions, more creativity, and more beautiful art together.

Some of my favorite images created together so far:

Dabour Photography dance ambassadors at the State Theatre of the Arts on September 23, 2025. Photo by DAVE DABOUR Photography
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a technical leg extension while standing on a rustic wooden stool. She is wearing a teal leotard and purple skirt, posed against a red brick wall with a large industrial window and a "Seven Sirens" logo in the background.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing an elegant ballet pose in a narrow industrial alleyway. She is wearing a teal leotard and purple skirt, with her arms extended and one foot on pointe, framed by the historic red brick walls and large windows of the Silk Mill.
A young dancer, Rylea, in a dusty rose lace dance top, holding a bouquet of pink roses close to her chest. She has her eyes closed with a peaceful expression and one arm gracefully arched above her head against a soft grey studio background.
A young dancer, Rylea, laughing while wrapped in a large, colorful silk scarf that transitions from blue to pink and purple. She is standing in a studio with a white floor and grey background, surrounded by scattered rose petals.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a dynamic leap in a white and red lace costume. She is surrounded by a large, flowing red silk fabric that creates a circular frame around her as she jumps against a deep red studio background.
A young dancer, Rylea, sitting gracefully on the floor in a large, pale pink tulle skirt and a black lace bodice. She is holding a bouquet of red roses and looking away thoughtfully against a deep red studio background.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a technical ballet pose on a bright red studio floor. She is wearing a black and white patterned leotard with a large, voluminous white tulle skirt, looking upward with her arms gracefully extended.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a technical pose while seated on a white wooden cube. She is wearing a black dance leotard and tan pointe shoes, with one leg extended vertically and her gaze directed upward against a neutral grey studio background.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing an athletic contemporary pose using white wooden cubes as props. She is wearing a black leotard and tan pointe shoes, balancing with one foot on a tall cube and her body arched forward in a dynamic, sharp-angled position against a grey studio background.
A young dancer, Rylea, performing a technical ballet pose using two white wooden cubes of different heights. She has one foot on pointe on a lower cube and her other leg bent in a passé position, with one arm extended gracefully against a neutral grey studio background.
A professional headshot of a young girl, Rylea, with her hair in a neat ballet bun. She is wearing a black dance leotard and smiling softly, captured against a bright, high-key white studio background.