Ballerina Stretching at Barre in Belem Dawn

Pale silver dawn light spills across the rough concrete floor of a practice space near Belem. A ballerina in a simple grey leotard stands at a wooden barre, her body arched in a deep stretch. The turn of the seasons hangs in the air, visible as dry leaves skitter across the dusty floorboards in sudden gusts. Low angle framing emphasizes the height of the room and the tension in her extended calf muscles. Dust motes swirl in the shafts of light hitting the peeling paint on the walls. Her reflection in the cracked mirror shows the strain of the movement against the backdrop of weathered window frames. at the edge is a single leaf caught against the base of the barre.