Capturing Dance

In her new dance photography book, MG, Marjorie Goodson stepped out of her comfort zone, a frightening and enlightening experience in equal measure.

- Michelle Zerillo-sosa

Why was it important to publish this book?

Originally, the plan was to create one book just for me — my personal love project. It never occurred to me that anyone other than me, [my] friends and family would be interested in what I was creating, particularly as I was a dancer in my fifties and naturally felt intimidated to even consider such a bold move as publishing. It was only after I began to see the quality of work that was being created by my amazing photographer, Andreea Radutoiu, and [my] hair and makeup stylist, Torsten Witte, that I found the courage to put myself and my art into the public eye. I could feel my confidence and my passion as an artist growing, and thus, my desire to share and inspire others in the process.

What do you hope your book will achieve?

I want my book to be both a visual and tactile experience for the viewer. To feel the weight of the book in your hands, the thickness and smoothness of the pages as you turn them, to see the rich saturation of colours within the photos and, last, to feel the emotional and physical quality of the images themselves. Of course, my greatest wish, aside from the experience itself, would be that MG could inspire others to pursue and create their own passion.

You’ve been a dancer since you were eight years old. What was it like experiencing dance for the very first time, and has it changed over the years?

As a child, I was very physical, so it only seemed natural that I would fall in love with dancing. I loved the beauty and grace of dance and moving my body through space. There was an innocence to my dancing as a child, but as an adult, I bring a more sophisticated and emotional palette to the way I approach dance — something only time and experience can give you.