Dance in Close-Up

Een unieke kijk op dans en
fotografie door fotograaf
Erwin Olaf en choreograaf
Hans van Manen

"Ballet inspireert mij enorm. De mens heeft de capaciteit om zich uit te drukken in vele vormen van kunst, maar bij dans - en zeker bij klassiek modern ballet - verbaas ik me altijd weer over die ongelooflijk hoge vorm van expressie. Het is zo precies en zo ontzettend ambachtelijk - dat bewonder ik enorm." Erwin Olaf
"Dat de fotograaf contact heeft via de camera, is anders dan direct kijken naar de figuur. Daarbij is het voyeuristisch. De camera kan iets wat je als toeschouwer niet kunt: een close-up maken." Hans van Manen
Hans van Manen is a lifelong friend and mentor of Erwin Olaf and ofcourse one of the world leading choreographers.
Op 11 juli 2022 viert de grootmeester van de Nederlandse dans, Hans van Manen, zijn negentigste verjaardag. Het Nationale Ballet en Balletorkest vieren dat uitgebreid met diverse voorstellingen. Tegelijk is van Manen ook een internationaal gevierd fotograaf en filmmaker en al jaren de mentor van Erwin Olaf. Dit boek viert hun vriendschap en bovenal hun unieke kijk op dans en fotografie.

Exclusive art project by photographer Erwin Olaf and choreographer Hans van Manen offering a unique view on dance and photography
The grand master of Dutch dance, Hans van Manen, celebrates his ninetieth birthday this year. That has given rise to international celebrations by leading ballet companies. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Hans van Manen was not only one of the world's leading choreographers, but also an internationally acclaimed photographer. It was during this period that the then very young photographer Erwin Olaf met the famed artist, who immediately took him under his wing and introduced him to the world of the visual arts and studio photography.
This book celebrates their forty years of friendship, with a photo series in which Van Manen directs moments from his choreographic career, recorded with the utmost precision by Erwin Olaf.

"Ballet inspires me. Human beings have the capacity to express themselves through many art forms, but when it comes to dance - and especially classical modern ballet - I am always amazed by that unbelievably elevated form of expression. It's so precise and so incredibly skilled; I admire that enormously."
- Photographer and filmmaker Erwin Olaf

"The fact that the photographer is looking through the camera lens means they have a different perspective from looking directly at the figure. That is voyeuristic. The camera can do something that the audience member can't: zooming in for a close-up."
- Choreographer Hans van Manen

Exclusive art project by photographer Erwin Olaf and choreographer Hans van Manen offering a unique view on dance and photography
The grand master of Dutch dance, Hans van Manen, celebrates his ninetieth birthday this year. That has given rise to international celebrations. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Hans van Manen was not only one of the world's leading choreographers, but also an internationally acclaimed photographer. It was during this period that the then very young photographer Erwin Olaf met the famed artist, who immediately took him under his wing and introduced him to the world of the visual arts and studio photography.
This book celebrates their forty years of friendship, with a photo series in which Van Manen directs moments from his choreographic career, recorded with the utmost precision by Erwin Olaf.

"Ballet inspires me. Human beings have the capacity to express themselves through many art forms, but when it comes to dance - and especially classical modern ballet - I am always amazed by that unbelievably elevated form of expression. It's so precise and so incredibly skilled; I admire that enormously."
- Photographer and filmmaker Erwin Olaf

"The fact that the photographer is looking through the camera lens means they have a different perspective from looking directly at the figure. That is voyeuristic. The camera can do something that the audience member can't: zooming in for a close-up."
- Choreographer Hans van Manen