Over the past decade I’ve photographed many performance artists, from Trapeze and Aerials to Fire Breathers and Stilt Walkers, and I’ve always wondered whether we could take these talents and put them underwater. I’ve talked before about my love of the ocean, so this was a natural idea for me.

Then in 2013 I started working with some of these artists, getting their advice on how best to do this, and the more we talked the more it seemed possible. They were excited, I was excited, we jumped in the water and no one drowned!

During the next 2 years I collaborated with some amazing women, capturing their incredible skills whilst underwater. My images of The Magenta Diamond (Tanya Drewery) performing Underwater Aerial Chains were featured in F11 Magazine, and photos of Sara Anderson Kidston with Madison Turner performing Underwater Lyra can be seen on my Behance page.

Late in 2014 I started working with X-Pole, a leading supplier of Pole Fitness equipment, and some very talented Pole Dancers to capture the images below. The girls make it look very easy but it was far from it, the relative zero-gravity of the water meant that they had to re-think poses, up was now down, and having to hold their breath along with all this just made it all the more complex!

Please enjoy the images below and also check out the Behind The Scenes we’ve put together.

HUGE thanks to all involved, couldn’t have done it without you all!

Makeup: Andrea Hows & Miss Moon

Assistants: Andy Condon & Delena Nathuran

Photography: Brett Stanley

Pole Supplied By: X-Pole New Zealand

Underwater Pole Fitness – Behind the Scenes from Brett Stanley Photography on Vimeo.