Dance Senior Pictures 101 | Unique Senior Picture Ideas
If you’re a dancer getting ready for senior year, I’m just going to say it — you have to incorporate dance in your senior pictures! You’ve spent years making time for rehearsals, nailing performances, bedazzling costumes, and learning choreography, so why not celebrate it? Dance has shaped you. It’s part of your story. And it deserves to be featured in your photos.
Every time I photograph a dancer, I know it’s going to be fun. Typically, dancers have above-average body awareness , and are quick to pick up poses (just like they pick up choreography)! Not to mention, a dancer’s style is always on point. Between dramatic skirts, pointe shoes, and years of performance experience, dancers always nail their senior photo outfits
From a creativity standpoint, it feels like we speak the same language. A dancer’s medium is movement and mine is light and composition, but the session becomes a collaboration that brings out the best of both!
What to Wear for Dance Senior Pictures
You’ve already dedicated years to your craft, so why not wear your uniform one last time before graduation? You could go full tutu, ballet slippers, dance costume vibes or rock your high school uniform.
Next up? A dress or skirt with movement. Dancers move so gracefully, and when you add long and flowy fabric into the mix, it makes for beautiful, dramatic photos.
And of course, don’t forget about the traditional cap and gown photo! No one does a relevé toe point cap toss quite like a dancer.
Don’t forget the props! We can use things from your uniform as props, like pom-poms or pointe shoes, but this is an opportunity to get nostalgic. Things like a dance uniform from when you were young and old ballet slippers show where you’ve come from and help tell the whole story of your dance career. What is a senior photoshoot without a little sentimentality?
Dance Senior Picture Pose Ideas
The hardest thing about taking dance senior pictures is probably coming up with new poses because they always nail them on the first try! All those years of choreography really show off in these moments. Still, there are a few classics I love using because they just work every single time.
1. On Pointe
This one is for the ballerinas. We’ll find a flat surface where it’s safe, and I have my camera settings ready to go to snap a quick shot — no need to hold this pose for any longer than necessary!
2. Leaps + Jumps
This is another pose that we take extra time to find a safe, even surface. The key as the photographer to make leaps, tricks, or jumps work is a quick shutter speed, especially if there’s limited natural light. But wow, when it works, these shots are always a parent favorite!
3. Over-the-shoulder with shoes
This pose is simple but powerful. A symbolic nod to your years of training and the forward movement of your journey. Another favorite shot in client galleries, always!
I might be a little biased as a former cheerleader, but I truly believe that dancers are some of the hardest working, most passionate people in the room. The strength, flexibility, artistry, and discipline it takes is unmatched. I think the habits dancers learn reach way past their youth and into adulthood — definitely worth celebrating for a moment at a senior photoshoot!
