Mini | Ellington Agricultural Center

I love meeting new people through photography. It’s truly one of the best parts of this job. I get to go on adventures with strangers-turned-friends and just love the heck out of them. It’s exciting, fun, and humbling to just hear about the lives of those around me, learn from their shoes, and celebrate whatever events are happening in their lives. I mean, what else could a girl ask for?

Lydia was one of these people. She reached out to me and asked for a mini session, to celebrate her birthday and also all of her years of dancing. I have never really done a dancer shoot before, and although I was a little nervous, I was still beyond excited to work with this talented woman.

Lydia is a dancer with the Nashville ballet, and oh BOIII is she talented. 100% of everything she did (from leaps to jumps (do those even exist??)) blew me AWAY. I was so overly impressed by her and her talents.

BUT, Lydia is not just a VERY talented dancer. She is also kind, beautiful, passionate, and full of life. We talked about what it’s been like to dance at professional companies, to move from one to another, and to just live the life of a dancer. She is also a voice in the dancer world, asking for pointe shoes to be made by various skin colors at every dance company, something that is somehow not prevalent and normal already.

Lydia is absolutely wonderful, and this shoot does not even come close to giving her justice. I’ve had friends text me and tell me that they don’t know how I even met her, because she’s famous in the dance world — a world I wish I knew more about. Sadly, my knowledge of ballet never grew past the fourth grade playground, where my best friend growing up taught me the five basic foot positions…of which I still struggle to remember.

Anyway, check these photos out! Ellington Agricultural Center really let Lydia shine in these. I’m so proud of Lydia, who she is, and all of her accomplishments. Look through these!