We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Eagle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jordan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

I am a professional performer who opened a photography business to support my finances when I’m not performing. Like so many others, during the COVI-19 shut down all of my work options were gone. Photoshoots weren’t happening, theatres were closed, and any other gigs I had to make money were gone. The dance studio where I taught had cancelled their spring performance and students were down, so my Co-worker Kelly and I started brainstorming ways to lift their spirits. We came up with “Front porch portraits”; this was a project where I drove to the students homes and photographed them from the street while they posed in their costumes on their porches and in their yards. It was incredible how much it lifted their spirits and this got me thinking. So many of my colleagues in the professional dance industry had been posting about feeling disconnected-zoom classes just weren’t doing it and we all missed the community that dance provides. One night I was marinating on this thought with my husband while reflecting on the fun of photographing these students and my idea for “Dancers of Quarantine” came to be. Dancers of Quarantine was a free photo story project that I created to bring the dance community together in a time when we couldn’t move together. It was simple really, I had a digital calendar for dancers to sign up for a time slot, I’d drive to their location and I would shoot them from the sidewalk or street while they danced on their stoops, in their courtyards, one of my dancers even had me shoot her while she was on the fire escape! After the shoot the dancers would send me their quarantine story, which was their experience during quarantine as a professional dancer in NYC. I would then post their photos on instagram with their story as the caption. It was a really special project to me and to this day, something I am most proud of in my career as a photographer because it was the first time in a long time that I felt I was giving back to the industry in a nourishing way rather than a performative way. I was helping dancers feel seen at a time when they felt invisible and invaluable. I was helping people feel heard at a time when they were alone in their homes. I was connecting people and helping them see that their talents weren’t lost despite this time away.

I suppose that’s a theme for me, wanting people to feel connected and seen. In fact, after dancers of quarantine I teamed up with that same innovative co-worker, Kelly, and we created an entirely digital Holiday Spectacular for the students that had continued to study with us over zoom during the shut down. Now, I know a lot of people did “zoom recitals”. This was not that. We held rehearsals over zoom, sure. But we built an outdoor stage out of wood pallets and chunks of rehearsal marley and held “Film days”. We had each student dance on their own on and then hired a friend of mine, editing wizard Nate Huntley, to make it appear that the dancers were dancing together. There were cinematic transitions, self mixed music, hand bedazzled costumes, it was really incredible. It took three days of filming where each student had their own “dressing room” (pop up tents to change) all of it completely outdoors to protect the kids and the choreographers. Kelly and I choreographed and directed. I doubled as the videographer along with my husband who was thrilled to have a real excuse to use his drone! It was special, and once again gave these dancers something in a time when everything had been taken from them, including school.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hey there, I’m Jordan Eagle and I am a professional dancer/singer/actress based in NYC. Ensemble member, Swing, Cover, Dance teacher, choreographer, film actor. I have been cast in every single one of these jobs for all types of shows. I understand how hard it is to market yourself as a performer. I also understand how frustrating it is to get a brand new shiny stack of headshots and have your agent, or a casting director, or even a friend tell you they aren’t great or don’t capture “you”. What’s even more frustrating is the current need for more than a headshot. In these times casting directors are requiring dance shots, fitness shots, a social media presence, and more. That’s why I started doing what I do. I have always been passionate about helping performers feel like they have what they need to go out and achieve their goals.

I got my start photographing dance competitions like LA Dance Magic, The Pulse, Star Systems, Act 1, and more. While I loved shooting competitions, I couldn’t help but wish I was working with the gorgeous dancers I was seeing in audition rooms – afterall, if these 13 year olds were inspiring me, how much more inspiration was there to be found amongst my peers? More so, in a private shoot, I would be able to work with dancers in a more indepth way so I could capture exactly what they needed. So, I quit the competition circuit, bought my own gear, and J.eaglephotography was born.

It hasn’t been an easy journey. I have had rebrands, taken steps away and returned. But when it boils down to it, I keep returning because I love watching artists see themselves the way they feel they are in their hearts, but might feel doesn’t get seen all of the time. In my process, artists fill out a branding questionnaire in which they tell me about themselves, their goals, things they liked or didn’t like about other photoshoot experiences and they set a clear intention for this photoshoot. Then a few days before the shoot we have a zoom session where they can ask me any questions they may have, show me wardrobe options and get to know me bit so the beginning of the shoot isn’t wasted on “Oh nice to meet you” but rather “Hi! good to see you again, let’s get started!” This has been the most incredible addition to my business because, I have found, when artists have time to set a clear intention for a shoot they begin to be more creative, mapping out color schemes, outfits, I even had one client send me an entire pinterest storyboard. Suddenly, photoshoots became a collaboration and I loved that a thousand times better than “Sit here, turn head this much, lengthen the leg on this line” And don’t get me wrong, I still love that and definitely do all of that in my shoots, but I get to go a little deeper now and that is where the fun really lies.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn imposter syndrome (and I am still working on it!). I had to learn that there will always be competition, but remembering your “why” is what will keep you going. Am I the leading dance photographer in NYC? No. But that’ isn’t my goal. My goals lie in the performance world. Photography is something I do because I was tired of hearing my peers say “Not seen again.” audition after audition. I photograph artists because I want them to feel seen, I want them to feel like they have the tools they need to succeed. I want them to have a moment in the room where they hand in their headshot with confidence or post on instagram without first texting the photo to their friend to ask “Is this good enough to post?” However, it was hard for me to believe I was “good enough” at what I do because I was (mostly) self taught and this wasn’t my “main gig”. I would find myself getting in my own way because “I didn’t know how to do that”. But it turns out, after some googling, you can find most of the answers you need. I also was reminded through observing the work some photographer friends of mine, that photography is an artform so experimentation and trying new things is a part of the job! It’s okay to try something new as long as the person you are working with is okay with taking that leap with you– and another thing I’ve learned is, they usually are!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I took some time away from shooting recently because I was getting burnt out. I was doing a lot of mini shoots because that’s what people could afford after the pandemic-which I was happy to offer- but I needed more. I wasn’t producing the type of work I wanted and my interactions were so fleeting I didn’t feel like my why was being satisfied either. So, now that some time has passed and I’m back and making sure I have balance in my work so that I can feel like I am moving toward something. I’m not looking side to side anymore, I’m looking straight ahead and focusing on my why. As you read earlier, my “why” is helping dancers feel seen. My “why” is to help put control back in the hands of artists when they work in an industry that really robs us of a lot of control. Whenever I shoot with someone, I want them to feel better than when they arrived, and I’ll be honest. That’s my real joy. I want someone to see their photo and think “Wow, that’s me! I look great” or “Wow, that’s exactly how I feel like I look in my head! Thank you!” That’s what drives me, that’s why I keep coming back time and again.

Contact Info:

• Website: jeaglephotography.com
• Instagram: @j.eaglephotography
• Other: Tiktok: @J.eaglephotography @Jordan.anne.eagle Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Rose photo: Amanda Jarufe (singer/songwriter Boudoir: Dancer, Alexandria Van Paris Engagement Radio City: Caitlin Wilayto Yellow Dress: Dancer, Rachel Fernandes Red Polka dot Fall: Dancer, Tiger Brown Bethesda Fountain: Dancer, Megan Bowen Red Dress, Sunflare: Dancer, Megan Bowen Rooftop Sunset: Dancer: Jessi Bishop