ADRIEN BARRIEAU

“Even Though No One Is Watching,” p. 22

Two years ago, I documented a Nutcracker performance by the Bella Dance Academy in Yellowknife and became interested in exploring the dancers’ experience of performance. There is a transition that occurs – moving from backstage to onstage, and then back again. I find this transition fascinating because in it we find the intersection of preparation and execution, of the personal and the public, of the rehearsed and the performed. And what really defines this intersection and propels this transition is the connection (and disconnection) between dancer and audience in a series of shared moments. This essay evolved from my previous project of trying to capture live performance from behind the scenes. The photos attempt to provide a performer’s perspective while dancing for nobody.

Adrien Barrieau is the founder of Through The Glass Photography in Yellowknife.