I grew up in a small city in Spain, and I used to go to a contemporary dance studio very often. I enjoyed watching the dancers, and they became my primary subjects when I first started photographing. To me, dancing is a concept, while movement is a way to express it. I don’t document the dancing itself, my works are very still in terms of movement. No matter what they do, the photos won’t move. I don’t ask them to dance a lot but I’m very demanding in terms of positions. I use my subjects as pieces of clay from which I can shape forms, though it’s not always comfortable for them.
There is a big difference between working with contemporary dancers and ballet. In ballet, there are lots of technical aspects which make my work much more complex. Even though I need technical elements while shooting, I don’t want them to be present in the photos. When working with contemporary classical dancers, everything goes perfectly, as they have both technical skills and simultaneously can focus their bodies on other critical aspects. Dancers are not the only ones I work with, but what I like to concentrate on are the body and its parts. Generally, hands and necks are very important to me; I like photographing people with beautiful hands, expressive necks, and I adore ankles – even though I don't photograph many of them, I love working with people with beautiful ankles. (laughs).