Photography as Ethnographic Passport

JONATHAN S. MARION

This article explores photography as both social and cultural passport into the image-based world of competitive ball-
room dance. First differentiating between the social and cultural accesses facilitated by my photography, I then use
specific images to explore the utility of photography in accessing, understanding, and representing the activity-based
globalization of ballroom’s aesthetic standards and practices across time, place, and context. [Key words: ballroom/
dancesport, ethnographic access, globalization, image-based culture, photography]

Introduction Photography as Social Passport

T
his essay is grounded in the overtly image-based
nature of competitive ballroom dancing and
in my experiences as both anthropologist
and photographer. While it is always incumbent upon
anthropologists to continually and critically reflect upon
our use of images, this is especially true (1) amid the
ever-expanding ubiquity of cameras and photography,
and (2) in situations where images are particularly sig-
nificant.1 From cell phones to laptops, and Google
Images to Facebook, the facility to create and dissemi-
nate images demands reflection on how, where, and
when we use photography as part of the anthropological
toolkit. More important, howeverFand inextricable
from issues of both theory and methodFis the question
‘‘Why?’’ Why use photography? To what ends, and with
what ethical implications and considerations? While this
photo essay cannot fully develop or definitively answer
such questions, it does illustrate how photography
served me as both social and cultural passport into a
particular society and culture: the world of competitive
ballroom dance.
While the social and cultural aspects of ethnography
typically go hand-in-hand, they are not necessarily co-
terminous, and for analytical purposes I want to
differentiate between the two. In my case, photography
served as both a social passportFallowing me access to
the world of ballroom dancingFand a cultural pass-
portFfacilitating greater understanding and better
representation. It is these two distinct but interrelated
tracks that I explore below in words and images, first
providing some background and then turning to photo-
graphic examples.
Photography facilitated my fieldwork, providing me
with a sociocultural passport into the world of competi-
tive ballroom danceFalso known as dancesportFin the
form of a culturally known role and function, namely
that of ‘‘photographer’’ (Marion 2007:116–118, 2008:
10–11). Indeed, starting my fieldwork with minimal
dance training, I was not a dancer, a coach, a judge, a DJ,
an MC, or the family member of a competitor and
quickly started to stand out at ballroom competitions as
‘‘that guy always taking notes.’’ Being perceived as
something of a ‘‘ballroom stalker’’ certainly was not an
auspicious start to my research, and this is where pho-
tography facilitated my entrée.
Recognizing that I would eventually want images
for future presentations and publications, in April 2002 I
first dusted off camera equipment that had been sitting
in the back of my closet for several years and brought it
to the Emerald Ball Dancesport Championships in Los
Angeles. Carrying my 35 mm SLR, flash bracket, off-
shoe flash module, external battery pack, and associated
cables clearly signaled a known status within the ball-
room world: photographer.
More than just a recognized role, however, it was a
valued one in the context of the largely image (in mul-
tiple senses of that term) dependent and driven culture
of competitive ballroom dance. Beyond providing a
culturally appropriate reason to be seen traveling
throughout the competition circuit, then, my images also
served as culturally valued capital with which I could
‘‘pay’’ my way in a social world where image and
appearance profoundly factor into success and standing.
While the (possible) rapport afforded by the role of

Visual Anthropology Review, Vol. 26, Issue 1, pp. 25–31, ISSN 1058-7187, online ISSN 1548-7458. & 2010 by the American Anthropological Association. DOI: 10.1111/j.1548-7458.2010.01045.x.
26 VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY REVIEW Volume 26 Number 1 Spring 2010

photographer is neither unique to my fieldwork nor a

new idea,2 what is noteworthy is how this dynamic was
amplifiedFin both scale and scopeFby the overtly
image-based nature of dancesport.
Starting out only photographing dancers I had in-
terviewed, I was able to repay these dancers for their
time with something they found valuable. Almost im-
mediately thereafter I was also able to begin bartering
images for interviews with other dancers who would
approach me floor-side at competitions. Expanding fa-
miliarity with my name and work, I was soon, if
intermittently, providing images to industry media
sources such as Dance Beat (the U.S. dancesport news-
paper) and Dance Notes (the leading U.S. dancesport
newsletter) and, later on, to Dance News (the UK dance-
sport newspaper). In a related vein, photography also
provided a powerful point of entry with ballroom dress
companies as I began working with and providing im-
ages to major U.S. costume vendors such as Randall
Design and Leniqué (both costume designers for Dancing
with the Stars), Designs to Shine, and Doré Designs. The
key to understanding photography as a social passport to
my fieldwork, however, is not any one of these items, but
rather the gestalt of their interrelationships in an indus-
try where image and appearance are integral to stature
and success.

FIGURE 1. Dominico Soale and Gioia Cerosoli, competing at the

Photography as Cultural Passport
Whereas functioning as a photographer facilitated social
rapport and access, the images themselves provided cul-
tural entry and insight. Which images did competitors
choose, which did ballroom newspapers select, which did
dress vendors prefer, and why? The answers to such
questions provided powerful data for unpacking both
person-specific and more general aesthetic preferences,
values, and standards. Just as importantly, the ‘‘frozen’’
nature of photographic images facilitated three related
processes:
1. It provided a means to refine my own understand-
ing of dancesport norms as informants (and others)
would comment on my images.
2. It allowed for the creation of ‘‘side-by-side’’ com-
parisons between couples.
2005 Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships, in Irvine, CA.
& 2005 Jonathan S. Marion.
3. It allowed for longitudinal comparisons and con-
trasts of images of the same dancers over time.
More than just products of ‘‘belonging,’’ passports
also facilitate it, allowing for both entry and exit. Indeed,
as useful as photography has been in my research, it has
been at least as valuable in presenting my work at
meetings, in the classroom, and in publication. And how
could it be otherwise? As attention to neurological links
between visual perception, action, and emotion suggest
(e.g., Nijland 2006), and as noted by neuroestheticist
Semir Zeki, ‘‘it is no longer possible to divide the process
of seeing from that of understanding’’ (Nijland 2006:38).
Images thus invoke understandings in a way that words
alone cannot.

Jonathan S. Marion is adjunct professor at California State University San Marcos, where he teaches Visual Anthropology and Body
and Identity. The author of Ballroom: Culture and Costume in Competitive Dance (Berg, 2008), Marion is an amateur ballroom
competitor, part-time professional ballroom photographer, and co-administrator of http://www.Dance-Forums.com and http://
www.SalsaForums.com. His research focuses on performance, globalization, embodiment and activity-based constructions of per-
sonal and collective meanings and identities.
 Photography as Ethnographic Passport MARION 27

Exploring Images powerful tool for explaining dancesport, including the

The image in Figure 1 comes from the 2005 Embassy Ball
in Irvine, California, and depicts the signature scissor-
kick opening pass of Dominico Soale and Gioia Cero-
soli’s quickstep routine. Then the reigning World and
Blackpool Amateur Ballroom Champions (now Profes-
sional Finalists), Dominico and Gioia are an Italian
couple who compete in the United States once a year at
most. Indeed, with only two opportunities a year (once in
the United States and once at the British Open Champi-
onships in Blackpool, England), it took me three years to
finally capture this image. Beyond the obvious difficul-
ties of composing and capturing this peak instant mid-
flight, I had to contend with the other competitors si-
multaneously dancing on the floor, the judges standing
around the edges, and the limited vantage points avail-
able to me amid the spectators’ seats and tables. Once
captured, howeverFand speaking directly to the deep
connections between photography and ballroom cul-
tureFthis became one of my signature images,
appearing in Dance Beat in the United States, Dance
News in the United Kingdom, and on the website of
DecaDance Photography (for whom I occasionally work
as a guest photographer). This image has also proven a
height, power, and posture generated by Dominico and
Gioia. Whereas video might better capture these dy-
namics in action, the frozen image enables me to direct
attention to each characteristic in turn, and to highlight
Dominico and Gioia’s nearly perfect postureFa key
judging criteriaFeven while hurtling through the air at
high velocity (e.g., Marion 2008:40–41).
Attending the Blackpool Dance FestivalFthe most
prestigious ballroom competition in the worldFand al-
ready recognized as a dancesport photographer, Florida-
based vendor Designs to Shine hired me for shoots in
2003 and 2005–2007. Figure 2, from the 2006 shoot,
features Anna Trebunskaya and Karina SmirnoffFmost
widely recognized from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars3
Fand exemplifies the interrelationships in dancesport
between dancers, dress and costume, commerciality,
public prestige, and photography. Appealing to dance-
sport’s glamorous side, panel 2A features high-fashion
evening gowns where panel 2B displays dancesport
‘‘practice’’ wear (clothing meant to emulate the move-
ments and styles of competition costumes). Also on
display by Anna and KarinaFin conjunction with the
dressesFare the appearance and performance (2A and
2B), poise (2A), and athleticism (2B) that are all part and

FIGURE 2. Anna Trebunskaya and Karina Smirnoff (both of Dancing with the Stars) modeling
Evening Gowns (A) and Practice Wear (B) for Florida-based Designs to Shine in Blackpool,
England. & 2006 Jonathan S. Marion.
28 VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY REVIEW Volume 26 Number 1 Spring 2010

FIGURE 3. Professional Smooth competitors Paul Cloud and Borbala Bunnett. & 2008 Jonathan
S. Marion.

parcel of dancesport aesthetics. Finally, this image and Ukrainian-born and New York–based Karina are
attests to the social and cultural translocality of dance- modeling for Florida-based Designs to Shine while in
sport as Russian-born and San Francisco–based Anna Blackpool, England, as professional U.S. competitors.

FIGURE 4. Warren and Kristi Boyce (left) and Paolo Bosco and Silvia Pitton (right), each dancing a
‘‘Contracheck’’ in International Standard at the 2005 Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships, in
Irvine, CA. & 2005 Jonathan S. Marion.
 Photography as Ethnographic Passport MARION 29

Well-illustrating that it is context and not content
that makes a photo ethnographic, the image in Figure 3
has led three lives. Like much of my dancesport photog-
raphy, the image (as seen on the left) was shaped by the
visual culture of competitive ballroom4Fthat is, the
types of composition and framing in demand by com-
petitorsFand the dancers depicted purchased a print of
this image and the rights to post it on their website. This
is its first life. This image’s second life is as a Semifinalist
Image in the 2008 Anthropology News Fieldwork Photo
Contest, where (speaking to the same translocality noted
for Figure 2 above) it appeared with the following title
and caption:
Globalization at a Glance
Illustrating the body-based translocal culture of
dancesport, English born and trained Paul Cloud
and Hungarian born and trained Borbala Bunnett
have participated in over 200 competitions in 10
countries (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Hungary,
Germany, Japan, France, Holland, Russia and
Ukraine) and have over 15 years of teaching
experience.
The image’s third life is as seen on the right side of
Figure 3, where it was used (with my permission) to help
advertise the University of California Riverside Dance-
sport Team’s 2009 collegiate competition, featuring a
professional show by Paul and Borbala.
The images in Figure 4 come from the 2005 Embassy
Ball in Irvine, California, and show competitors Warren
and Kristi Boyce (left) and Paolo Bosco and Silvia Pitton
(right)Fboth World and Blackpool Amateur Ballroom
Finalists at the timeFeach performing a ‘‘Contra-
check.’’5 Continuing the translocal theme noted for
Figures 2 and 3, the side-by-side comparison allows the
viewer to see the deep activity-based similarities be-
tween English-born Warren and Estonian-born Kristi
(dancing for England) and Italian-born Paolo and Silvia
(dancing for Italy). In juxtaposition to each other, these
images also help identify limits and ranges of dancesport

FIGURE 5. Michael Malitowski and Joanna LeunisFWorld and Blackpool Professional Finalists at
the time, now World and Blackpool Professional ChampionsFperforming their Rumba at the
2005 Ball in Irvine, CA (left) and the 2005 British Open Dancesport Championships, in Blackpool,
England (right). & 2005 Jonathan S. Marion. Note: The drastically different skin tones are a result
of very different shooting conditions and are not accurate reflections of the dancers. I was on the
edge of the floor for the image on the left, allowing my flash unit to saturate the image, whereas I
was located much farther away at Blackpool, where my flash was not able to overcome the dis-
tance (and mixed lighting).
30 VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY REVIEW Volume 26 Number 1 Spring 2010

FIGURE 6. Seven-time American Professional Rhythm Finalists Felipe and Carolina Telona competing at the
2004 Yankee Classic Dancesport Championships in Boston (A and D); the 2007 San Diego Dancesport Championships in
San Diego (B and E); and the 2008 International Grand Ball in San Francisco (C and F). & 2004, 2007, 2008
Jonathan S. Marion.

costuming through the drastic gender difference in cos-
tuming: the men’s near identical tailsuits, and the
different cuts and colors of the women’s still somewhat
similar gowns.
Where Figure 4 contrasts different couples in the
same competition, Figure 5 contrasts the same couple at
two different competitions. While always subject to
variations in how it is performed, Michael and Joanna’s
dancing is Michael and Joanna’s dancing whether in
California or Blackpool. This continuity of content
across venues is, of course, the other side of the translo-
cal coin: not only do dancers from across the globe
perform dancesport in similar ways, but the same danc-
ers perform dancesport in similar ways across the globe
as well.
Figure 6 juxtaposes images of Felipe and Carolina
Telona across place and time, depicting the same action
in their Cha Cha routine in 2004, 2007, and 2008 (panels
A, B, and C, respectively). This side-by-side comparison
achieves two interrelated purposes. First, it shows changes
to the Telonas, grooming and costuming over time (es-
pecially Carolina’s). Second, and more importantly, it
helps document technical dancesport judging criteria.
When I first showed the image in panel A to others in
2004, initial reactions varied:
 Nondancers commented on Carolina’s physique.

 Beginning dancers commented on her speed (as seen
in the blur of her skirt).
 Experienced dancers noted that her head-angle was
too far forward relative to her body-axis.
This head-angle to body-axis discrepancy is illus-
trated in panel D, and panels E (2007) and F (2008) allow
viewers to trace the development and tighter alignment
over time.
Photography as Ethnographic Facilitation
Ruby notes that ‘‘culture can be seen and enacted
through visible symbols embedded in behaviorFges-
tures, body movements, and space use’’ (2000:240). The
materials above provide examples of this from dance-
sport, and demonstrate the utility of photography in
unpacking such cultural content. Overall I have sug-
gested a model for thinking about photography as both a
social and a cultural passport. While interest in and de-
mand for images by dancesport competitors, media, and
vendors all expedited my fieldwork access, just as im-
portant are the cultural understandings facilitated
through these images. As the discussions of the images
in this essay make clear, these dynamics certainly inter-
twine; but they are not one-and-the-same, and there is
something to be gained in giving each its due reflection
and consideration.6
Notes
1 Crawford, eds. Pp. 26–49. Leiden: CNWS.
This significance can be due to any number of things, be
they political, personal, professional, spiritual, or some-
thing else altogether.
2 Oaks, CA: Sage.
Collier and Collier’s (1986) concept of camera as can opener,
for example, makes a similar point.
3 2000 Picturing Culture: Explorations of Film and Anthro-
As of April 2010, Anna Trebunskaya has competed in Sea-
sons 2, 5, 9, and 10, and Karina Smirnoff has competed in
Photography as Ethnographic Passport MARION 31
Seasons 3–9, In a related vein, I ended up attending the
premier of Season 4 as Karina’s guest after she e-mailed to
ask if I had any photos of her readily available for a project
she was working on at the time.
4
For a broader argument of just this pointFthat visual
methodologies should be informed by ethnographic under-
standing of the visual culture at handFsee Pink (2007:ch. 2).
5
These images come from the same competition as Figure 1,
with all three couples competing against each other at this
event.
6
Ultimately I do not take this model as reality, but rather as a
tool that opens up conceptual space for thinking about
these issues, the same point made by Ruby in noting that
‘‘theories are neither true nor false; they are merely useful’’
(2000:251).
References
Collier, John, and Malcom Collier
1986 Visual Anthropology: Photography as a Research
Method. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico
Press.
Marion, Jonathan S.
2007 Which Way to the Ballroom? Suomen Antropologi.
Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society
32(2):110–123.
2008 Ballroom: Culture and Costume in Competitive Dance.
Oxford: Berg.
Nijland, Dirk J.
2006 Ritual Performance and Visual Representations. In
Reflecting Visual Ethnography: Using the Camera in
Anthropological Research. Metje Postma and Peter I.
Pink, Sarah
2007 Doing Visual Anthropology. 2nd edition. Thousand
Ruby, Jay
pology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.