Feature
Interview with Kyle Froman
New York City Ballet member discusses his book of photography, In The Wings
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Most people would consider themselves lucky to find one career path about which they are passionate, never mind two—not to mention being successful at both. Meet Kyle Froman, the professional ballet dancer, and Kyle Froman, the renowned photographer. With New York City Ballet for 13 years, Froman has danced many legendary and new roles as a member of the Corps de Ballet. Embarking on a photography career, Froman already has a widely distributed book and major company advertisements to his credit. His work in both In The Wings and The True Foundation (for the Dancers’ Emergency Relief Fund) show a command of artistic expression as real as the dancers in his photos. Froman took time to chat about his new endeavors and his successes.
When did you start doing photography?
This all started a few years ago, probably about three years ago now. I was in the middle of barre in company class and I was doing my tendus, like I do every morning, and I caught an image of the dancers in front of me, and they all just lined up. It just looked like a picture. It was this perfect picture, and I was like: I should bring my camera in. I just started seeing pictures all around me and they were very different than normal ballet pictures I had seen. It was like this insider view. You had to be standing where I was standing to see these images.
You recently opened Kyle Froman Photography.
It’s my business that I pretty much just started. I just launched my website a few weeks ago. I’m proud of it.
What was it like for you when In The Wings was released, now that all the photographs and hard work are displayed for the world to see?
It wasn’t really until I had a copy in my hand that I could be proud of myself for what I had done. I got my advance copy just a few weeks before it was released, and I was just so excited for the world to see that. That’s always how I feel. In a way it’s like a choreographer working on something. Someone creates something and before they show it to the world there’s that anticipation.
Tell me about The True Foundation, [a booklet for the Dancers’ Relief Gala]. How did the concept come about?
It’s funny because In The Wings was all about backstage, and then in dealing with the dancers I thought it would be great to have them taking over the theater. Those are places we don’t spend a lot of time in, but when we’re just going to rehearsal we walk through the theater and it’s totally empty and we do feel like that’s part of our home too. So I thought it would be cool to explore that. Like when the lights go out, the mice come out to play, that sort of taking over and having fun.
Have you found you’ve been getting more commissions and photography work since In The Wings and The True Foundation?
Oh, definitely. Christopher Wheeldon approached me and asked me to shoot his ad campaign for Morphoses [his company]. Then Damian Woetzel [former NYCB Principal dancer] contacted me and asked me to come shoot his Vail International Dance Festival in the summer. It feels like everything has been snowballing in a way.
Do you have new projects you’re working on, ideas for the future?
I’m working on a second book right now that I have been working on for a while. It also involves dancers, but it’s totally different than In The Wings, and I’m still developing it. At the same time I am shooting a lot of private clients, a lot of ballet dancers. I hope to shoot other companies. I’d love to get into more Broadway actors and singers, so there’s a lot that I’m looking forward to.