Bay Area photographer Lucy Gray spent the past 15 years with three prima ballerinas as they dealt with the rigors of performing with the San Francisco Ballet and raising families at the same time. The results are now collected in a new book called Balancing Acts: Three Prima Ballerinas Becoming Mothers, which was released by Princeton Architectural Press in March.
Gray’s photos will be the subject of a new exhibit, also called "Balancing Acts," opening this Saturday at the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott St). According to a press release for the show, the photos paint an intimate portrait of life inside a top ballet company as well as the personal lives of ballerinas Katita Waldo, Kristin Long and Tina LeBlanc, all of whom are now retired.
“In over one hundred dramatic black-and white photographs, Gray documents their struggles to balance the demands of family and work,” the press release says, “from their tireless preparation in rehearsals and dazzling mastery of craft displayed on stage, to their time spent relaxing at home with family and even while giving birth.”
There will be an opening party for the exhibit at the Harvey Milk Photo Center on Saturday, May 9th from 1-4pm. Lucy Gray will be signing books starting at 2pm. Tina LeBlanc and her son Sasha will also make an appearance, as will Kristin Long and her husband, Martin West, who is the conductor of the SF Ballet orchestra.
Gray has said that the book is as much about celebrating working mothers as giving viewers a glimpse backstage at the SF Ballet.
“I made this book for working mothers in general,” Gray told the Chronicle. “There are 75 million working mothers in this country, and half the workforce is women, yet we’re so backwards in how we think about mothers and work. I’d like the dance world to take notice, yes, and then everyone else. It’s cuckoo that the subject of working mothers still needs to be on the table. Why wouldn’t we want to support working mothers?”
The exhibit will run through June 7th and joins the Harvey Milk Center's group Spring Photography Exhibit at McLaren Lodge, which is currently showcasing the work of members, volunteers, staff, and interns through June 8th (501 Stanyan St.).
The Harvey Milk Photo Center is open Tuesday-Thursday from 4-9pm, Saturday from 10am-4:30pm, and Sunday from noon-5:30pm.
