It’s Spring season for the Kutztown Dance Team! I am so excited to be back with these girls for another round of team headshots. I love watching this team grow and getting to document their members. I’ve been working with their team captain, Morgan Harrar, for a year now. She really wanted to cement the KUDT into Kutztown University culture with team headshots like any other sports team or club. I adored this motive and wanted to share their message with my photography.

For their Spring season, the team got a new look with tank top uniforms for the warmer weather. Along with this changed I noticed so much growth between the dancers I met last semester. There were new hair cuts and mature attitudes all around. It’s crazy how much can change in 1 semester. I love being the one to document it!

To begin our picture day, I like to start out with everyone’s headshots. This is something we can start while the team starts to arrive. The team captain is always first up. I photograph a standard headshot with poms at the waist. Then, we flow into a fun dance pose of the girl’s choice. This is photographed in a 3/4th crop and a full body photo. We go down the line until each team member is photographed. This is my favorite part of the day. I love getting a chance to meet each girl and giggle when picking their dance pose. It’s great getting to make that connection with every member of the team.

Next, it’s time for the big group photo. This is by far, the toughest part of the day. Our team captain and the other seniors help to arrange the team in front of Old Main. It can be difficult fitting all 20+ girls up there. Once we have a good placement, I snap a ton of photos in this single pose to ensure we got everyone’s best smile. Afterwards, we transition into an energetic pose with poms in the air. I always encourage the team to bring out their loudest cheer at this point.

The past year working with the Kutztown University Dance Team has been a wonderful and rewarding time. It gives me the opportunity to be creative, socialize with the team, make connections. I love the energy that the KUDT brings. It really reminds me why I love my job!