Editor’s note: An untold number of unheralded artists live in Colorado, those creators who can’t (or don’t want to) get into galleries and rely on word of mouth, luck or social media to make a living. You’ve likely seen them on Instagram, at festivals or at small-town art fairs. This occasional series, Through the Lens, will introduce you to some of these artists.
Capturing the grace and power of a dancer in full expression has become a passion for ballet dancer and photographer Francisco Estévez.
He’s also a two-time cancer survivor, but doesn’t want to focus too much on that. He’d rather talk about his craft.
Renowned for his physical prowess and his ability to execute high jumps, Estevez has had many solo roles throughout his career, including some in Colorado Ballet’s most popular productions: the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz,” the Prince and the Sugarplum Cavalier in “The Nutcracker” and, in his first role as principal, as Basilio in “Don Quixote.”
Ecuador native Estévez, now 35, trained at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York and worked as a dancer with both the Barcelona and Boston ballet companies before joining Colorado Ballet in 2013, around the time he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was promoted to soloist in 2015 and became a principal dancer in 2019, soon after doctors discovered chronic myeloid leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer.
While he is still dancing, Estévez has recently been putting more of his creative energy toward photography. He skillfully captures mesmerizing leaps and mind-bending poses of dancers into a single frame, often incorporating elements of smoke dust, and body paint to enhance his imagery.
“I am inspired by creating something new and beautiful every day,” he says. “Having integral knowledge of the dance as a subject separated from the human subject is invaluable for dance photography.”
We invited Estévez to talk about his life and work. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Q: Describe your career as a ballet dancer.
A: I started as a young boy in Louisville, Ky., with the University of Louisville Dance Academy and the Louisville Ballet School. At 16, I moved to the School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City and finished high school there. I was able to perform featured roles with the New York City Ballet and graduated in 2008. After leaving SAB, I danced for a few years with the Boston Ballet and then a few more at the Barcelona Ballet. I met my wife, Tracy, there and we moved to the U.S. (in 2013) to both join Colorado Ballet, where I danced for nearly a decade and was a principal dancer. I took a step back from company life after the pandemic in 2021. This coincided with the birth of our son, and I began to put all my energy into my photography. I now still dance (for the time being) but as a freelance artist.
Q: What inspired you to go into photography?
A: Since I was a young boy, I always loved photography. On family trips, I would monopolize the disposable film cameras and take too many artsy photos of an airplane wing, in addition to many others.
In Spain, many of the dancers also liked photography, so it was a natural transition for me to put my interest in photography into my passion for dance. I bought my first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex camera) and taught myself all there was about photography. As I became more ambitious in what I wanted to photograph, I did more research and learned how to do it. My entire photography skillset is self-taught, and my dance photography methodology is developed from merging our dance background with traditional photography techniques.
Q: You have become known for your ability to capture dancers at the peak of their jumps and in motion. How do you accomplish this?
A: Having integral knowledge of the dance as a subject separate from the human subject is invaluable for dance photography. While posing can be taught, there is vast knowledge that you gain from knowing the poses first-hand.
My methodology also takes into account that a three-dimensional object has to be manipulated in certain ways to be represented faithfully in two dimensions, so we have honed in certain techniques in order to help dancers feel and look their best in front of our cameras.
Q: What inspires you?
A: Creating something new and beautiful. I think as dancers we love routine but also love creating new things. Creativity lives in our routines as dancers and though we may come in every day to dance and train we do things differently within that daily structure. Finding new creative ventures in our photography is what inspires me.
Q: You have had some ups and downs in terms of personal challenges, among them two cancer diagnoses in 2013 and 2018. Do you feel comfortable sharing this with us?
A: Everyone has ups and downs. My biggest challenge was managing my cancer diagnoses as a professional athlete and artist. Surgery for my first cancer (testicular) took me out of dancing for some months and then had lingering physical effects on my dancing for years afterward. My second diagnosis of blood cancer in 2018 came as a shock; treatment for that just ended a year ago this January. I thankfully had a positive reaction to that treatment as well and continue to be healthy and am grateful for the support the dance community offered me and my family through these trying times.
This form of leukemia was thankfully treatable through a targeted chemotherapy drug and did not have nearly the destructive side effects of traditional chemotherapy. That would have taken me out of the profession completely.
Q: Do you still dance?
A: I do! But only small freelance gigs and a lot during Nutcracker season. I probably dance more Nutcrackers now than when I was in a company.
Q: How would you describe your photography? Describe what kind of artist/photographer you are.
A: My work tries to capture mesmerizing images, blending color, movement and message in every still shot.
Q: Briefly, explain your process and your evolution to where you are now as an artist.
A: I typically start with a general lighting concept that can often change as I move through the session (if it is a creative session). Then I touch base with our dancer(s) and make a reference book of poses that are baselines for where I start the images. After the shoot, we then do extensive retouching on the background and fix lighting and any posing issues that are easy to adjust before delivering to the client.
Q: What does your schedule look like?
A: I work all the time except when we are with our son in the evenings and weekends. Ballet is a very restrictive and consuming career – often to a fault. When my wife and I stepped away, we made a conscious effort to always put our family first.
That often means that I have a pretty regular 9-to-5 schedule, but have a team of photographers that helps supplement a full schedule. I also often work late after our son is asleep.
Q: Do you remember the first photo you got paid for?
A: Likely an audition dance photo shoot in 2013 when I first moved to Denver.
Q: What is the price range (or average price) for your work?
A: We do not sell a lot of physical products but our photoshoots range from $99 to $3,500.
Q: Do you have a favorite art piece?
A: One of the photos of my wife from our series titled “Shadows and Dust”
Q: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
A: The most memorable one was when a person came in and wanted to purchase my work to be put up in their home. That was pretty special.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A: “Always ask; the worst thing people can say is ‘no’” (from my wife).
Q: What advice would you offer to beginning artists?
A: Be creative but also pragmatic. Never go into it with a romantic idea of what you want it to be. Make it what you want it to be by working through the practical side of things as a business as well.
Q: Describe your dream project.
A: Doing large marketing shoots for professional dance companies every year.
Q: Where can we see your art (photos)?
A: Website: franciscoestevezphotography.com | Instagram: @candidlycreated
