This shot was three years in the making.
The first year, I chased authorization to photograph inside Havana’s prestigious ballet school. Official channels led me in circles—office after office, each baffled as to why I’d been sent their way. Two full days of dead ends, and I left empty-handed.
By the second year, I’d nearly given up—until my last day, when fate intervened. My BnB host, a close friend of a ballet teacher, had a daughter training there. Eager to seize the moment, I proposed an impromptu session with my workshop students. I thrive on spontaneity—it sparks authenticity—but the dancer, also a Tropicana performer, brushed me off. I returned home feeling that my creative journey was still incomplete.
Year three, I returned for a new workshop with private clients and stayed at the same BnB. This time, we bypassed bureaucracy and arranged a shoot with the host’s daughter. The real challenge? Making it happen without red tape. I opted for the “old way”—greasing palms on-site. It worked. The result? Pure magic. The dancers, the parents, the workshop students, even the officials pocketing *backshish*—everyone won.
And the photo? Worth every hurdle. One of my favorites from Cuba.
