Havana, Suspended

“Havana, Suspended”
Location: Havana, Cuba 
Date: March 2024
Photographer: John Butterfield
Affiliation: Alumni
Home Country: United States
Category: Places
2026 International Photography Exhibition

“This photograph was taken during a tour in Cuba in 2024, when two ballerinas from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba joined us at a weathered colonial building in Havana - its stone balustrade, timeworn shutters and wrought-iron window grille standing as backdrop and stage at once. The eye goes first to the dancer in mid-leap, her white tulle skirt caught in motion, one leg extended along the length of the railing as if she might clear it entirely. But it's the second dancer - seated quietly in purple, watching - who holds the photograph together. Her stillness is its own kind of performance and counterbalances the energy at the top of the frame: Is she waiting her turn, critiquing the line of the jump or simply lost in the moment? The building's faded grandeur gives both ballerinas a stage that feels theatrical rather than accidental - as if Havana itself were watching, too.”