Dance

No event too big or series too sprawling /  by Constance Mensh

It’s daunting to plan, launch and execute any event or event series, especially on a budget. You can feel confident that when choosing a collaborator for your documentation, I have it covered. My photography practice can scale up or down depending on your needs.

Take for instance, Common Field, hosted in Philadelphia in 2019. This yearly, multi-day, multi-location event connected thousands of attendees, supported, and advocated for the artist-centered field from 2015-2022.

To cover this ambitious project, I contracted with two other talented, like-minded photographers/videographers and together we produced dynamic photography + video content to cover all key events and locations, all while staying within budget.

Later in 2019, I took on a five-day long shoot for The School for Temporary Liveness, Vol. 1. Experiments in practice, performance, and pedagogy. Thankfully in one location, the Philadelphia Art Alliance/Rittenhouse Square, this programming centered mainly around visually-stunning, but at times very challenging to capture performances and workshops.

Featured above is a sampling from the series, including the haunting performance, Existing Otherwise by Isabel Lewis and #Punk by nora chipaumire. The School for Temporary Liveness was presented by University of the Arts School of Dance and supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Earlier this year, the experimental series returned for the first time in person since 2019, I was once again asked to cover it. Still ambitious, Vol.3 was three days and two locations, Slought Foundation and the Rotunda, across the street from each other in University City. This time around, I partnered with the excellent photographer Ricky Yanas to cover everything.

I relish the opportunity to capture the most intimate moments alongside dynamic, active and downright joyful moments of communities based on care, performance and art.