African American

sheshe2

(87,495 posts) Thu Dec 15, 2016, 08:02 PM Dec 2016

Striking Photos Of The Ballet Program Bringing Strength To One Of Africas Biggest Slums

Fredrik Lerneryd spent the last year and a half photographing a group of ballet dancers in the Kibera neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya, one of the largest urban slums in Africa.

Dressed in bright blue and purple leotards, their arms and legs craning out as they stretch, Lerneryd’s subjects stand out beautifully against their stark surroundings ― monochrome walls and floors without any adornments. The Swedish photojournalist felt drawn to these dancers not because they are famous, or even professionals. The ballerinas (and ballerinos) in his photos are young students who study dance for fun.

They do so through a program run by U.K.-based charity Anno’s Africa, which provides alternative arts education to over 800 children in Kenya. Taught by Mike Wamaya, who previously worked throughout Europe as a dancer, Anno’s ballet classes focus on both the physical and mental well-being of the 40 or so students who take part, promoting the confidence-building necessary to carry these kids into adulthood.

“I came in contact with the dancers while I was working on another story,” Lerneryd explained to The Huffington Post, “and I felt really moved [by] what I saw.”

His ongoing series, filled with images of floating bodies and expressive faces, focuses less on the rigorous craft of ballet and more on the visible determination of the people practicing it. A few of his photos also provide perspective on the realities of informal settlements in Nairobi, a city that is home to more than 2.5 million people in approximately 200 slum areas.