I met Silvano for the first time in 2002 in Hamburg, Germany. We had both just left our homes and families, mine in Canada and his in Switzerland. The objective: to train and dance ballet with John Neumeier. Fourteen years later and 600km apart, I am still lucky to have someone like Silvano in my life and someone whom I can call a friend.

Silvano was born and raised by his Italian parents in Zurich, Switzerland. At the age of the 7 he discovered his passion for dance and has since dedicated much of his time and life to pursuing a fulltime career as a professional dancer, not unlike myself.

Throughout the years spent training physically to become a dancer, he likewise developed an interest to explore beyond ballet and developed an eye for esthetically beautiful things. Fascinated by the prospect of using photography as a means to open up his mind and heart to the beauty around him, he began to photograph all things that inspired or spoke to him, be it with his iPhone 6 or his Canon 6D.

Despite his revered status as soloist for the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier, Silvano took a leap of faith to explore what the world of photography had to offer and in doing so put his ballet career on hold. However as with myself, dance and movement is not something that he has strayed far from. Many of his current commissions are for the National Youth Ballet of Germany or more recently for Reebok sports.

Call it luck or call it fate, but I have been one of the very privileged people who have had the honor to not only accompany Silvano on his journey through life and dance, but also see him develop and nurture his wonderful talent for capturing beauty on film. He has the ability to see, grasp and create images through with his lens which never fail to take my breath away. Anyone who is familiar with Silvano’s work will no doubt say the same. His work and talent speak for themselves.

Many of the photos that you will find on my blog have been taken by Silvano. Additionally you can find a select few from our recent photo shoot by clicking here. If you are interested in seeing more of his work, visit his website Silvano Ballone Photography or follow him on Instagram @s.ballone.photography.

“To me a great photographer makes you see the honest truth, the history behind a great photograph needs no explanation. The photograph should simply speak for itself.” - Silvano Ballone

Title Photo Copyright: J. Hafner