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Ballerinas Grace Uptown Subway Stations in New Photo Series

By Nigel Chiwaya | August 19, 2013 10:23am | Updated on August 19, 2013 12:13pm
  Photographer Luis Pons juxtaposes peaceful ballet moves with chaotic uptown 1 train subway stations.
Ballet in Inwood by Luis Pons
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INWOOD — Pirouettes are coming to Park Terrace.

Sometimes navigating subway crowds can feel like a chaotic dance, but a new photo series is putting graceful ballerinas onto elevated 1 train stations in Inwood and Marble Hill.

"It's a bit of a contrast," said photographer and Washington Heights native Luis Pons, "The beauty of ballet against a backdrop that's a little gritty or very urban."

"Dance is one of those art forms that is very serene and peaceful but it's also very athletic, so I'm going to try to show that in an urban landscape," added Pons, 40.

The first set of photos, featuring SLK Ballet dancer Eve Marinelli along the 1 train stations between 242nd and 215th Streets, has received rave reviews online. Pons said that he's even gotten suggestions on where to shoot next.

Inwood was the natural choice for Pons, who attended the Manhattan Christian Academy on 205th Street and is married to Inwood Kids Daycare owner Elizabeth Pons.

"This is a place that I can trace 15 years of great memories," Pons said. "I think it's a natural extension to bring them where I spent so much of my youth."

Pons' ultimate goal is to take the series all the way down to Washington Heights. And the shoots won't exclusively take place at train stations either, as the photographer eventually wants to branch out to areas like the Cloisters and other uptown attractions.

"I'm going to go to the parts that are quite beautiful. Because there's a lot of parts in our neighborhood that are extremely beautiful."