This shot. This day. This performance. 11 years ago on this day, I took this shot during this performance and realIzed that I wanted to be a #ballet photographer. I was actually called at my day job, just hours before the show, by the PR manager of the Mann Center, to shoot it. I was a produce manager for Giant Markets. It was a Friday afternoon and Vicky called me and said, “Royal Ballet is doing their final performance of Swan Lake tonight and my boss says I need a photographer there. Can you do it?” At the time, I was shooting a little on the side. I was actually only 4 months back shooting semi professionally after an almost 10 year hiatus. Needless to say, I said yes to shooting. This was my very first time seeing a ballet performance, let alone shooting one. However, this performance set my career in motion. Anything and everything I’ve accomplished in ballet in my career is because of this performance. For that reason, Royal Ballet will always be my favorite ballet company and swan lake my favorite ballet. Stay tuned, bc later this week, I will have more info on things that happened years later regarding this company and story. #swanlake #royalballet #ballerina #marianelanunez #rupertpennefather #manncenter (at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts)