Underwater Ballet

There is little more elegant and beautiful than the movement of a professional ballet dancer. Grace and delicacy are simultaneously coupled with strength and power and, for an audience, it is a joy to behold, which is why the art form remains immensely popular in the West End. These dancers make ideal muses for professional photographers wanting to capture the passion and talent of these incredible artists and ballet has inspired a huge number of iconic works created by some of the great masters: Edgar Degas was famously capitivated with ballet as a theme.    

However, Italian photographer Adolfo Maciocco has realised a ballet photography project with a twist: he has set it underwater. Seeking to juxtapose the elegance of the movement in ballet with the peace and power of the sea, Maciocco has arrived at some of the most aesthetically stunning portraits we've seen in a while.

Water, as a backdrop, gives the photos an ethereal and other-worldly feel, making it seem like a dream. In fact, some of the photos are slightly reminscent of the peaceful scenes of Jacques Mayol underwater with his dolphin in Luc Besson's Le Grand Bleu. What's also striking is the refraction of the light around the dancers; dazzling rays of light seem to freely play around them and make the photos glisten. Lastly, the weightlessness of the dancers is palpable with their talented movements even more impressive when cutting through the water and leaving a thin trail of bubbles to prove it.

All in all, it's glittering and unique. Check out a selection of photos below and Maciocco's website for his other work.