Maria Kochetkova by Kurt Iswarienko

Suffering for your art is well personified in Ballet. This is Maria Kochetkova from the San Francisco Ballet. I photographed her rehearsing on stage in San Francisco. Up close what really struck me was the control and elegance ballet dancers exert over the loudest most explosive moments as well as the quiet peaceful pauses. Few other art forms or athletics make use of that same range of space.