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Poetry In Motion

The new book by photographers Ken Browar and Deborah OryThe Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance – is as beautiful to look at as a trip to a top ballet is to attend or a sold out runway show is to witness. In fact it’s even better – it’s the two combined and in book form…so you can dip into it again and again at your leisure taking in the poetry in the comfort of your own home.

In the book the husband and wife team of Browar and Ory spotlight today’s greatest dancers—from ballet to modern—all captured mid-dance dressed in clothing by celebrated designers (Dior, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, vintage Halston, Moschino, and more). The breathtaking images explore the intricate relationship between fashion, dance, and photography as the dancers bring the pages to life with their artistry, becoming one with what they are wearing.

The fashion is sometimes a partner and sometimes an extension of the dancer…flowing off them like water. If you’re a dance fan you’ll recognize the talents of Tiler Peck, Daniil Simkin, Misty Copeland, Michael Trusnovec, Christine Shevchenko, Xander Parish, Olga Smirnova, and Artem Ovcharenko bringing the fashion to life.

Each session was styled by Brower and Ory – finding the right clothing for the right dancer and, most importantly finding the right personality to fit the fabric or the dress to create exactly the right mood. And they get it right every single time. The dancers seem to float from page to page, graceful and delicate.

The two spent hours scouring the Internet looking for pieces that would work. They had to be both sculptural and evoke the right feeling. Nowhere was too far away and dresses were sourced from across the globe: Europe, of course, but also countries as far away as Australia, Lebanon and Taiwan. Sometimes it took them ages to reach a certain designer and in other cases designers found them. “Seeing it come alive was magical,” say Ory in the book.

The duo go on to say that the inspiration to start their project was their daughters Sarah and Jenna. Both grew up loving and studying dance. “Before our children even took dance classes, dance was always a part of our lives together. Evenings at our house always included a dance performance where we would put on music, find some costumes and perform for each other. These early improvisations might include some text or singing, but most often they were just pure dance. Costumes were always an important part of the event and even the decision to simply use a leotard was intentional. Dance and fashion naturally go together. As Belinda Pieris states in her quote, “When a child puts on a dress, often the first thing she does is spin to feel how it moves with her.”

— Samantha Reinders

The Style of Movement: Fashion and Dance
Ken Browar and Deborah Ory
Rizzoli New York
October 2019

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