Emily Bromberg & Lilit Hogtanian // Alicante, Spain
A few years ago, I came across the work of a photographer who visited the Muralla Roja (translation: Red Wall) and made an incredibly beautiful and inspiring series of images involving the architecture of the apartment complex. The stunning lines and vibrant colors made for a wonderful backdrop. Although all my images are black and white, I thought I could focus on composition and shapes to make equally exciting imagery. So, I was immediately hooked, almost literally booking a flight that moment to photograph. I learned that one could enter the property legally by simply renting an Airbnb for a night, or two nights. My only dilemma was that I had no ballerina for that specific weekend, and sadly had to nix that plan.
Since the ballet world is very small, I remembered a ballerina had started following me from when I photographed a few of her friends at Miami City Ballet. I noticed that she was at Barcelona Ballet, and I was excited about that connection. I reached out to her and asked her if she might be willing to make a crazy trip to Alicante sometime in the future, be it a few months or a year into the future. Although she didn’t say yes, she didn’t say no, and that’s all the encouragement I needed.
Fast forward half a year later, and I now had a trip to Europe planned. If ever there was a moment to tack on a trip to Alicante, it was now. After visiting London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, I knew I had to end the trip in Alicante, even if only for a short 17-hour stint. Although I still had no confirmed ballerina, I had a plan.
With a ticket to Europe secured, I reached out to Emily and asked if she might be interested in following through with my crazy idea. Sadly, she informed me that she was no longer dancing in Barcelona, and had moved to Slovakia. Backpedaling and not willing to let this dream die, I asked if she would be willing to fly from Slovakia to Alicante - after all, it’s not like she was going to walk from Barcelona to Alicante. Although this complicated the flying route, making her travel day considerably longer, Emily agreed to a shoot.
My plan was this: I would fly Emily to Alicante, rent a car, and drive us (Emily, my female cousin and her friend, and myself) to Calpe (about 30 minutes northeast of Alicante), where we would stay one night in the rented Airbnb, making a variety of photos over this period. Emily made a counteroffer and asked if she could bring a friend, and I agreed. Although we had many mutual friends in common, the ballerina’s comfort is always of the utmost importance to me, and I wanted to make sure that Emily was as comfortable as possible in this overnight process. Enter Lilit, Emily’s friend, and dance companion at The Ballet of the Slovak National Theatre.
Getting to Muralla Roja proved half the battle, as once inside, one needs to constantly be navigating the maze and labyrinth - and also remembering not to lose the keys. I am forever grateful to ballerinas for having trust in me to make beautiful images and make all their effort worthwhile.
May 14, 2022
