PASSÉ, a phenomenal ballet pictures exhibit, will open in NYC for one weekend solely

Experience the artistry of ballet in utterly new manner at this immersive pictures exhibit by Brad Walls. Set inside a monochromatic crimson surroundings, the brand new exhibit “PASSÉ” celebrates motion, stillness and symmetry—showcasing ballet in a minimalist, but intimate perspective. It makes for a fantastically choreographed dance that appears to leap from the partitions.

“PASSÉ” is on view September 12–14 from 10am to 6pm at 347 Broome Street in Nolita. 

RECOMMENDED: 17 NYC artwork exhibitions we’re most enthusiastic about in fall 2025

During viewings, friends will enter by way of The Red Room, strolling a full-length crimson carpet initially used through the shoot itself. Life-sized prints will line the house at eye degree, inserting viewers face-to-face with the dancers in intense element. Walls invitations viewers to not simply observe the great thing about ballet, however to step into the lives and tales of the dancers themselves. 

Walls is an Australian visible artist identified for reworking on a regular basis topics into artwork that comprises compositions of symmetry, house and kind. Now primarily based in New York, Walls rose to fame together with his signature minimalist birds-eye perspective, capturing every little thing from synchronized swimmers to ballet dancers. 

The catalyst for the undertaking began with a second of vulnerability throughout Walls’ first ballet shoot in 2021 that includes dancer Montana Rubin when a group of younger triplets approached Rubin and had been visibly moved. “It reminded me that ballet, while celebrated for its perfection, is also deeply human,” Walls stated in a press launch. “This project is about honoring that—about making the distance between performer and viewer disappear.” 

After three years in growth, “PASSÉ” is Walls’ most bold undertaking up to now, as one of many largest choreographed ballet photoshoots ever tried, involving 60 dancers and a 10-person crew throughout a single eight-hour lengthy session of steady capturing. For the shoot, a crimson carpet the dimensions of a soccer discipline was laid throughout a warehouse ground, with a big gentle bounce suspended above to create even, subtle lighting all through the house. Then, a customized crane rig was constructed for the digital camera to seize the moments from straight above.

It jogged my memory that ballet, whereas celebrated for its perfection, can also be deeply human.  

The photoshoot was choreographed by Ian Schwaner, who crafted the actions of the dancers in sequences that fused classical self-discipline with graphic design. The solid consists of a few of the most expert ballerinas within the nation, with dancers from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet School and Ballet East. “The result is not just a study of dance, but a choreography of form, precision and pattern seen from a perspective rarely experienced,” Walls stated in an announcement. 

Everyone who visits the exhibit can even obtain a handwritten postcard from one of many featured ballerinas, printed with photographs from the present—serving as an enduring memento and a private connection to the artwork itself. Walls invitations New Yorkers to view his creation not simply as an viewers member, however as an energetic member of the story.