“You are telling stories visually and without the need of words,” explains freelance street and dance photographer Omar Z. Robles (@omarzrobles), who is originally from Puerto Rico. Omar started to shoot dancers on streets when he moved to New York City two years ago, but his interest in the ability of the human body to physically share stories and emotions stems from a longtime passion for physical theater, dance and an education in the art of mime. Training under Marcel Marceau in Paris, Omar was influenced by the great French mime’s ability to tell a story without words. “It’s something I find completely exceptional,” he says.
Omar uses urban settings to add to the narrative of each photo and complement the lines of the dancer’s body, whose arabesques and jetés he anticipates. “The mind studies the body in segments as if they are musical notes, then you are able to come in and combine them. Little intricacies can create a different aesthetic,” he explains. “An inclination of the head can say something completely different.” Photo by @omarzrobles