Claire spent years as a competitive gymnast before finding her way to dance. She remains grateful for the strength, discipline, and values gymnastics gave her, but as she grew older, she began craving something more: freedom. She wanted an outlet for expression and creativity. “It was so clear that I would start dancing,” she recalls. “In a way, it felt like dance had already been chosen for me.” Dance gave her a sense of speaking without words, along with community, connection through movement, and the experience of being fully present in the moment.

Making the body your instrument, however, can be complicated. Claire speaks thoughtfully about how closely identity and dance become intertwined when the body itself—its strength, size, race, gender, appearance, and physical limits—is both the means of expression and part of how the work is perceived. She has struggled at times with the demands placed on her body as an athlete, dancer, and performer, and there have been moments when she questioned whether she would continue pursuing dance professionally.

“Dance is my love,” Claire says. Over time, that love has also meant learning to treat her body with kindness and compassion rather than viewing it only through the demands of performance. Dance remains her place for freedom, creativity, connection, and expression—a language she can speak without saying a word.

About the Photographer

Claire's feature photo was taken by Bay Area photographer Ron Rothenberg. Ron's love of photography began as a child growing up in San Francisco, inspired by his father, a professional photographer, and later by legendary photographer Ansel Adams, whose Yosemite workshop Ron attended when he was just 15.

After years photographing landscapes, models, and other subjects, Ron discovered dance photography around 2010 and was immediately captivated by the artistry, discipline, and dedication of professional dancers. His goal is to capture both the beautiful lines and the emotion of a dancer, blending fine art and dance photography to create images that tell a story of their own.

See more on Ron's work at https://www.etherealpixels.com/

Suplemental Photos By:

Josh Rose, The Jacob Jonas The Company (JJTC)

George Simian, Diavolo Escape

Kirk Donaldson, Vim Vigor Dance Dracula