Virtuoso Dance Photography was launched at the UK's biggest dance convention, 'Move It' in 2014, to be a 'go to' photographic service for the dance sector. Drew Tommons was already established as a prolific dance photographer, and he made it his mission to set a standard for creating stylish and memorable imagery for dancers of all ages and abilities including:
- Professional dance companies
- Dance schools and colleges
- Festivals and Competitions
- Portfolios for dancers
Drew’s portfolio shows that nobody is too famous or talented and nobody is too young or inexperienced to benefit from his approach to creating images. There are few if any, other photographers in the UK whose repertoire ranges from ‘grass roots’ dance schools through to college graduates and world-class professional dancers. Drew’s friendly, flexible approach to each shoot means that your experience will be as good as your images.
Drew has created images for companies and organisations which are at the forefront of the dance world such as Birmingham Royal Ballet, Move It, the Royal Albert Hall, dancewear brands Dans-ez, Freed of London, the Imperial Society for the Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), and publications such as The Dancing Times and 'One,' the magazine of One Dance UK, both of which have featured his work on their covers. Drew has been privileged to have worked with exceptional dancers from major companies in the UK and abroad, as well as stars of BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.
Drew is at home in the theatre, photographing dress rehearsals, or in the studio and on location, working with groups or individuals. On a shoot, clients frequently cite his commitment, enthusiasm and flexibility in ensuring the shoot meets or exceeds their expectations. Always looking to push himself and his collaborators to get the best result possible from any given scenario, Drew engenders trust and commitment from clients and team alike.
This collaborative approach to working with dancers, is summarised here by Brandon Lawrence, Principal Dancer of Birmingham Royal Ballet
‘I have worked with Drew for many years during my time at Birmingham Royal Ballet and each creation holds its own special story. We haven’t just exceeded what we set out to do, we have made it memorable, fusing our passions to explore new avenues. Drew brings a healthy balance of commitment, enthusiasm and a desire to push and evolve concepts, while maintaining attention to detail and great care in his work. I can’t think of another professional photographer within the dance sector of the U.K. who has a comparable body of work’
There is a constant need to grow creatively and to find more ways to come up with special images that can inspire young dancers. It's great to go back year on year to work with talented, passionate teachers and dancers, creating beautiful images, whether from annual showcases or on our increasingly popular studio and location shoots.
It's a privilege to be welcomed into a company or dance school and to develop a working relationship with the dancers and teachers. Seeing how the dancers have grown and progressed over the years is also special, as is finding ways to surpass the images that we have created in previous years.
We are looking forward to enhancing relationships with the people that we work with, while at the same time, building new relationships with an ever-growing client base. There will also be an emphasis on collaboration with a network of photographers who share the Virtuoso Dance Photography ethos, creating the opportunity to cover more shows for more dance schools around the country.