Natalie Leftwich: Model Dancer

First she was the face of A Midsummer Night's Dream, now with another poster appearance, this time for Dangerous Liaisons, Natalie Leftwich is getting used to being in front of the camera. Here she talks about what it's like to be a model for the day!

Talk us through the day from your point of view. How long does it take to get ready for a shoot? How long does a shoot take? How much time do you actually spend ‘posing’?

For the Midsummer shoot it probably took about half an hour to get ready. Gavin (our wigs master at the time) did both my wig and my make up so that was easy enough. The actual shoot took nearly 3 hours! We did what seemed like a million different poses. The Dangerous Liaisons shoot was much quicker. It was done on a work day and I think we were given 35-40 minutes to have Katie (ince, Wigs Manager) put our wigs on and to do our own make up. I did a few poses on my own and then Chris and I continued for only about 45 minutes.

Above: Natalie with Christopher Hinton-Lewis on the poster for our new production, Dangerous Liaisons.

During the shoot how much input do you have into what you’re doing?

As much as I like...well, you're told how to pose or sometimes you're asked to improvise as well. What was really nice on the Dangerous Liaisons shoot was that after the picture was taken it was shown on Steve Hanson's lap top computer, so you had a chance to see the final image ahead of time and make any changes needed.

Who makes the decisions during a shoot?

It depends on who's there. Anna (Izza, Head of Media and PR) and Katherine (Scott, Head of Marketing) were both very helpful during the Midsummer and Dangerous Liaisons shoots. David basically made most of the decisions for the Dangerous Liaisons shoot, he came up with the poses and gave us advice. You know... point your foot, tilt your head this way or that, look sexy!!! Steve Hanson, the photographer on the shoot, also had a lot of say in the final decisions.

How is being in front of a camera different to being onstage?

It's a completely different experience, the two are almost entirely unrelated. When you're on stage you're part of a large group of people who are putting the show together and you really get a sense of that. Also, all the emotions flow fluidly on stage where as when you're in front of a camera it can be quite difficult to bring whatever emotion is needed to the surface and then sustain it...keep it fresh and real.

Above: Natalie as she appears on the final poster for A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Is it fun being in a shoot or is it hard work?

It's a lot of fun - I really have enjoyed it! I suppose the only hard part is having to hold a pose for an extended length of time, your muscles start to cramp!

Are you comfortable posing for the camera? You said in a recent interview with Northern Exposure that you'd had a little experience with modelling, did this help?

Yes, I feel very comfortable. I find it exciting to do something different. Actually, I bet most dancers feel fairly comfortable in front of the camera. We're so used to putting ourselves in the public eye. As far as the modelling, I never actually pursued it further than having head and full body shots taken to use in a portfolio, but I suppose having those done helped in making me comfortable working with a photographer.

Have you been recognised from the posters?!

No...thank goodness!