Ballet on Film by Lisa K Cho

 

Ballet on Film
by Lisa K Cho
July 2 - August 4, 2022
Zoom Talk July 10, 2022 6pm HST, Zoom ID 808 597 8733

'Ballet on Film' is a long term project with many chapters. I find it particularly interesting because it began pre-covid so we have:
  • 2 chapters before the pandemic and life changed
  • Chapters where no students were allowed in the studio and they learned virtually
  • An outdoor class which was the first time many of them saw each other in months and danced together - it was pure joy. My heart was so full that afternoon.
  • In-person instruction resumes
  • 2 performances in unusual spaces - a gym and outdoor at Bishop Museum. No theater was allowing performances at that time.
  • 'Return to the Stage' - their recent show which was the first time performances were allowed inside a theater. This is also the first show without masks.

Photographs will be up in shop thru August 4, 2022.  Please visit the shop to see these  photographs up close.  Prints are available for purchase.

There will be a Photographers Zoom Talk on Sunday, July 10 6pm HST.  Lisa K Cho & Romi Beppu will be doing the Photographer's Zoom Talk, moderated by shop staff Dru Hara.  Please join us as they will be discussing the photographs, shooting ballet on film before & after the pandemic.  There will also be a Q&A.  Zoom Talk ID 808 597 8733.

Artist's Statement:

 Ballet on Film is an ongoing collaboration with Honolulu Classical Ballet. The project began as an exploration of ballet in Hawaii, but it has evolved into the intimate story of how the school has adapted and evolved to keep art and its artists relevant during the pandemic.

In keeping with the timeless beauty that is ballet, film is the perfect medium to capture its elegance and depth. Two art forms that may seem distinctly different at first glance, find parallels and shared experiences in their creative process and how an idea weaves its way through the initial stages ultimately to its crescendo. The countless hours spent stretching, bending, twirling and mastering the exact placement of one’s figure in ballet is mirrored in the time, attention to detail, editing, reviewing and obsession that is film photography.

The majority of Ballet on Film is shot on Portra 800 with a 50-year-old Yashica 635, which originally belonged to my mentor.

View more on lisakcho.com and @lisakcho