Beginning on page 348 is an article written by Barbara Ferreri Malinksy titled  “Gene Schiavone: Photographer to the Acrobats of God.”

Excerpts:

Gene Schiavone communes with the Acrobats of God on a daily basis. His camera captures their essence – their artistry where the human body is the instrument of expression. Imbued with the subtle nuance that each performer proffers, the Acrobats of God bestow the gift of transcendence, transporting us from this world to another.

His skill is in demand throughout the world and has taken him to the most prestigious ballet companies and festivals – ABT, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Bolshoi, Kirov, Munich Ballet, Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, the Mikkeli Ballet Festival in Finland, the Youth American Grand Prix as well as other companies and international events. His photographs are published regularly in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and major papers and magazines here and abroad.

Mention just about any etoile in the constellation of ballet stardom and he has photographed them – Paloma Herrera, Ulyana Lopatkina, Alessandra Ferri, Marcelo Gomes, Diana Vishneva, Ethan Stiefel, Gillian Murphy, Roberto Bolle, Irina Dvorovenko, Anastasia and Denis Matvienko, Nina Ananiashvili, Svetlana Zakharova and more. He lives in the firmament of the stars and understands the ephemeral and evanescent nature of his subject matter.

His philosophy reveals his understanding of documenting a transient medium, “Each photograph is a moment in time which has immediately become the past. Ballet is a visual art form steeped in history. It is my hope that these photographs will help preserve that history.”

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My first assignment for Boston Ballet was Carmen, Serenade and Dying Swan in May of 2006. That was followed by a location shoot at the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring Don Quixote and other ballets. Two challenges always present in stage work are lighting and speed of movement, and the choice is always blur or grain. The term “dramatic lighting” is terrifying to a dance photographer, as it usually means “no light”. On a positive note, constant camera and software development has made the task a little easier.

Looking at a photograph is different from watching a performance. The camera freezes a moment in time that immediately becomes the past. It preserves an instant that is usually not evident to the audience who is watching the dancer pass through it. I’m happy to be able to preserve some of these moments.

My favorite classical ballet to shoot is Swan Lake. It’s very difficult due to the “dramatic lighting” but rewarding if you’re able to capture the emotion. To me, a good image is one in which you can hear the music. When I look at a Swan Lake photo, I can always hear the music.

Boston Ballet is one of the great companies and this will mark my fifth year. I consider it a great privilege.

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