Waterdance

Howard Schatz is a master at creating amazing photographic images of the human body. "Water Dance," his fourth book (1995), is a collection of over a hundred stunning color photos taken of ballet dancers underwater in what started out as an experiment and ended up as new and alluring choreography. The introduction to this book talks about man's quest over time to conquer gravity, and how dance is created to give the illusion of weightlessness. This discussion is a perfect foreword to Mr. Schatz's work, in that having dancers "perform" underwater essentially solves the gravity problem. What you see in "Water Dance" is a collaboration between photographer, dancer, choreographer and even costume designers to produce a sort of ballet that is weightless . . . underwater. Virtually all of the subjects are dancers from the San Francisco Ballet and other companies, recruited by Mr. Schatz to perform in this project that uses a pool as a stage. Each image is entitled "Underwater Study #..." and features usually one, but occasionally two or more dancers, captured in the midst of an expressive movement or pose, but suspended in a way that the fluidity is still present. An interesting attribute to these photos is the use of the surface of the pool as a mirror, or as a plane through which a portion of the body can penetrate to become hidden. Note also the use of special chiffon fabrics which were created for the underwater studies to take a shape which complements the dancers. You don't have to be a fan of dance or photography to appreciate this book. The images are truly amazing, and I believe anyone will find fascination with these photos.

Review Summary: This book deserves more than five stars. Take the most talented dancers from the San Francisco ballet, give them special gossamer costumes for underwater, and see how their poses and moves soar in the relatively weightless space beneath the surface. The resulting color photographs capture exquisite forms, bubbles, reflections, and stressless arabesques. The photographs are done with a Nikonos RS camera and a Hasselblad underwater camera, lit by Balcar strobes.Viewer Caution: These images contain many nude photographs of men and women that would earn this material an R rating if it were found in a motion picture. All of the images evoke freeflowing, tasteful versions of classical poses for dancers and nudes. Review: Water Dance is one of the most original photography books I have ever seen. Most underwater images are of fairly still poses, while these are often dynamic in their movement. Mr. Schatz has also found many special effects that mimic mirror images, reflections on the surface of water, and bubbles caught in solid transparent objects. Flowing hair and costumes also serve to capture the undulations and movement in the water in ways that will remind you of the most delicate kites flying in the most gentle, steady breezes. The dancers themselves are in marvelous shape and seem to have adapted well to making leaps and pas de deux that would be impossible above the water. Those images are the most ethereal. The images are greatly enhanced by the special costumes designed to work well in the undulating world of underwater.Ms. Katita Waldo is clearly the dancer who has taken most naturally to this new medium, and you will be intrigued by her freedom of expression in these images. But many other dancers were able to achieve remarkable poses that were well photographed and reproduced in this wonderful book. Here are some of my favorites:Underwater Study #49 (Shannon Lilly); U.S. #229C (floating costume); U.S. #189 (Heather Nahser); U.S. #117 (Tiffany Heft and Nikolai Kabaniaev); U.S. #179 (Jessica Schatz and Heather Vaughn); U.S. #152 (Katita Waldo); U.S. #107 (Anastasia); U.S. #215 (Julian Montaner and Nicole Panone); U.S. #183 (Wendy Van Dyck); U.S. #130 (Katita Waldo); and U.S. #41 (Katita Waldo). I hope that someone will take this concept the next step and choreograph a whole underwater video featuring such beautiful dance sequences. After you finish marveling over these astonishing scenes, I suggest that you think about how your own work could be transformed by being moved into a medium in which it could operate with fewer constraints. What would glass blowing look like in outer space? How would writing change if it were dictated while roller blading? Extend the joy of life in as many ways as possible!

Having gotten acquainted with several of Howard Schatz' books, and owning more than one, I vouch for the opinions of other reviewers that this collection of photographs of dancers, fabrics, bodily configurations and arresting visual phenomena underwater is just beautiful, and astounding! An earlier reviewer said, "The photos in this book are a bit rawer than those in 'Pool Light' - and by that I don't mean tawdry." Unfortunate use of the word; since true appreciators of dance and the human form don't consider the uncovered body as "raw", but exquisitely natural. Mr. Schatz is very discrete in his exposure of both male and female bodies in this fine collection. To my taste, this book is superior to the later one, "Pool Light" (which I also own and thumb through).One of the arresting visual phenomena is the reflections of forms from the "mirror" meeting of water and air (mediums of different density) at the pool"s surface.To me (dance buff) this is much more than a "coffe table" book.

I first saw this book over a year ago, and I have been captivated by it ever since. The high contrast cover says it all: Red and yellow fabric, and a redheaded dancer with cream coloured skin. I like drawing the human form, and especially dancers, but the positions that are achieved by the dancers in this work are floating and effortless. The use of primary coloured fabrics alongside the fair skin of the bodies is superb. The physicality of the movements and the bodies is breathtaking. This book belongs on every artist's and dancer's coffee table for all to see.

This book is a must for all lovers of dance, art, art noveau, photography, fairy tales and water spirits! I have never seen such real live works of art - studies in graceful movements and beauty. It is a modern depiction of the wonderful and beautiful nymphs, water spirits and meremaids - a visualization of all the fairy tales of beautiful spirits that dance in the water. H. Schatz shows that he respects his models, is a true professional photographer, who loves his work, and wonderful visual storyteller. If the troubles and the ugliness of the world threatens to invade you sanity, just pick up this book and enjoy its beauty. It will be soothing to you eyes and spirit. It is like fairy tales for adults! It will give you the strength to face the world, again.