Felicity. Brady. Penelope. Shea. They are the most adorable, scrumptious, smiley family. Felicity and I met when I was, oh, 5-years-old, maybe? My dad was dancing with Tapestry Dance company off Burnet and 183. Felicity was a teenager. I remember her most when the studio moved (where, I can’t remember) and she became a company member. I remember her rehearsing while wearing a Greenday T-shirt that said “Dookie” and I thought “wow, she’s so cool. That shirt says POOP on it.” I always thought she was an amazing dancer. My dad was in the company too, so I got to hear stories about Felicity and Nick and Acia and Dierdre, and many other wonderful people. I think I healthily idolized them and was hoping to be a dancer someday, too. When I was 9, I got my first break! Acia, one of the artistic directors and cofounders, asked me to be in a show. I was actually terrified and nearly said no, but my dad encouraged me to think about it some more. He reminded me that I was brave and that I’d have a lot of fun. I was doubting my abilities. Doubting why she chose me. I knew I wasn’t the best dancer of my age group, so why me? This is a bit of a theme in my life and I still struggle frequently with self-doubt, but I’ve gotten a lot better 🙂 If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be running my own photography business and bowling over my fears at every turn, I’ll tell you that much! 🙂 Anyway, I finally said yes, and I’m so glad I did. I got to dance with my daddy which was absolutely precious and I still remember it vividly, and I also got to dance with Felicity. In one of the pieces, she grabs me right before the lights go black to stop me from reaching for a gun. The piece was about war. I was only 9, but I knew how powerful that ending was, and Felicity was so incredible, so charismatic, so fully immersed in her role, and I remember watching her in awe as she danced to those drums, her short blond hair whipping around and her beautiful dancer body moving in ways I hoped I could someday.
Fast forward 18 years and I’m not a professional dancer. I’m a professional photographer. I’m lying on the grass, taking pictures of her amazing family having a picnic while the sun sets behind them. Penelope’s cheeks full of grapes. Shea grabbing Brady’s beard with much more force than a baby’s first should be able to produce. Riding bikes. Loving looks. Giggles, tickles, hugs, gentleness, unconditional love. When Felicity came to pick up her prints, she left me with a bit of wisdom. She said that everything kind of falls apart in your late 20s, and then suddenly it just all starts coming together and making sense. It was just what I needed to hear. I was feeling relatively ok with the upheaval in my life right now, but she gave me permission to just totally go along for the ride and not resist it…maybe even embrace it. I adore Felicity and I love her family. This is a session I’ll never forget and I hope there are many more like it in the future! <3
