In the admittedly unbalanced gender hierarchy that exists in dance, Tension by photographer Nir Arieli highlights the strength, agility and beauty of the male dancer that is often underappreciated. It is a masterful series that combines the sublime aesthetic of the male dancer and digital photography. Through photo manipulation, Arieli combines different contortions of the dancing body into a singular hypnotising moment. Arieli, a former photographer for the Israeli military, was inspired by the bizarre aspects of dancers in motion. In an interview with Kaltblut magazine, he explained his fascination with the form of the male dancer saying “For me, dance is impossible and dancers just don’t make sense…They are non-human creatures: their odd physical abilities, dreamlike and nightmarish at the same time, fascinate me.”

Photo Credits: Nir Arieli 

Find out more about Arieli here!