And his shootings have traveled all around the world from Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and New York City.
For the latest project, he decided to try something different by taking pictures of nude performers. In my opinion, this is what they call authentic art photography.
As Robles says:
The naked body speaks volumes to our fragile yet mystical and graceful existence. We are born naked and it was a naked act (in most cases) that brought life to each and every one of us. Body language is our first language. We are tied to our bodies, in such a strong way that they can often tell things about our emotional state, even in spite of ourselves.
The start of The Bare Sky Dance nude ballet project
Beside shooting truly amazing photos of the performing artists, Robles also shares the story of the performer by making their voice to be heard beyond the visual act.
For example, after being a victim of assault, one performer named Brittany Cavaco reveals that after the photo shooting for the Bare Sky Dance ended, she no longer felt vulnerable and ashamed.
The same case was with Alexandra Jacob.
She rediscovered that the “project was incredibly liberating in a sense that like being on stage, I was able to shed my outer layers and uncover the freedom of self-worth”.
Below you can check out the series and stores of the nude ballet Sky Dance.
Also, you can follow Robles on his personal blog or Facebook.
Nude Ballet – Britanny Cavaco – “Doing the #BareSkyDance series with Omar was extremely liberating. I have always struggled with my body image. Even recently I have been told by someone in a professional setting that I should not be considered a ballet dancer because of the way my body naturally is shaped.I don’t talk about this often but I am also a victim of sexual assault. The incident has made me even more self-conscious of my body and ashamed. The thought of my body not being able to be partially hidden underneath fabric made me cringe. However Omar is someone I trust and someone who I know would capture these images in a way that would be respectful, thought-provoking and meaningful. The day we happened to shoot on was cold and rainy, not the typical day one feels inspired to dance on a rooftop naked. Nevertheless standing on the rooftop, my body exposed to the world, I no longer felt self-conscious, ashamed and vulnerable, I felt free and proud. “
Nude Ballet – Britanny Cavaco 2
Nude Ballet – Terk Lewis – “What appealed to me about posing for @OmarZRobles #BareSkyDance series is the fact that I have a very different type of body. I don’t necessary look like most dancers, I have tattoos and I am taller than your average male dancer. Through these nude images I want to encourage other people to embrace their differences and feel supported in being unique and different. I wantempowerindividuals that can relate to me and my image by doing things in the dance world that just a couple of years ago people who looked like me weren’t able to do. I believe there’s inspiration there to be given.”
Nude Ballet – Jacline Henrichs – “Don’t hesitate. Go for it. Be Epic.”
Nude Ballet – Alberte Nilausen – “When Omar contacted me asking if I was interested in shooting for his new series I didn’t know the concept yet, I just said yes! Then he told me it was called #BareSkyDance. Images of a wide sky, freedom, skyscrapers shaping the horizon of New York City in contrast to the naked body of a dancer sounded beautiful in my head.”
Nude Ballet – Alex Wong – “As a dancer, I am innately self-conscious about my body because we tend to be fairly critical of our lines and technique. Being nude might bring even more attention to any potential mistakes or flaws. Things that maybe the everyday person might not notice but a trained dancer would. I chose to work with Omar on his #BareSkyDance series and dared to pose nude because he is a photographer that I have worked with before and I know I can trustto take the photographs that will represent my work well.”
Nude Ballet – Alexandra Jacob – “I chose to participate in Omar Z Robles’s Bare Sky Dance photography series to de-stigmatize the notion that nudity has to always be associated with sexuality in a visual setting, as well as to reclaim my personal right of consent after a silencing my history with sexual assault. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with either sexuality or nudity, I just prefer to not have them be the basis of how I present myself to the world.”
Nude Ballet – Cassandra Orefice – “As a model, a dancer (and hell just as a woman) people often ask me to pose nude. I usually politely decline because I want my art to be about more then my naked body. Being naked is completely natural and normal but also easy. Easy to look good in a photo, easy for people to like it. But when Omar asked me to pose for his Bare Sky Dance it was about the beauty and simplicity of dancing completely free, something that took my brain a LONG time to understand. Dance is freedom to me.”
Nude Ballet – Stephanie Chisholm – “What a beautiful concept Bare Sky Dance! To be fully naked, vulnerable, open is, in my opinion, the most dangerous thing a person can do and also the most beautiful. I chose to shoot with Omar because his photography, especially this series, captures that essence.”
