Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah Wedding Photographer-Melissa Kelsey » modern. elegant. real.

As you may have heard, the grand opening of the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City, was a pretty big deal. I got a call the day before to photograph the opening of the brand-spankin’-new Restoration Hardware store. Man, is it luxurious and sparkling!

Jamie of Bellessa Designs, was so kind to think of me for this event. Jamie is an outstanding floral designer, and is also the head interior designer at the new Restoration Hardware store at City Creek. That’s a pretty big deal, if you ask me.

It was exciting to feel the energy of all the people and anticipation, downtown. There were long lines to get into stores, a marching band in front of Macy’s, and people all around. It was fun to photograph something different that day.

I was asked to photograph all the “rooms” of the store, in Restoration Hardware catalog style—straight on, no angles, please! This was a fun exercise for me. Usually, I photograph rooms on an angle, from the corner of the room, to get as wide of a view as possible. I was also there to photograph the ribbon cutting, the inaugural ceremony for the new store.As I moved around the beautiful spaces, photographing everything, I couldn’t help but hear the team-building talk the staff was having in preparation for the big opening. I was impressed and felt inspired. I almost wanted to work there myself! Little known fact: I was an interior designer for 5 years, in between graduating photography school and starting my photography business. Yep.At 10 a.m., we all headed outside the shiny doors for the ribbon cutting. The staff lined up, cheering loudly and holding a long satin ribbon. With great big scissors…the ribbon was cut! You could hear the cheering of ribbon cutting ceremonies all around City Creek Center, but I’m pretty sure Restoration had the loudest group.

What’s Dance Church, you ask? Well…it’s fun, exciting, freeing, spiritual, uninhibited, carefree, a tribe, a community, a place for self improvement and introspection, a chance to dance and let yourself go. It’s held at Flow Yoga every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 5:45 p.m.

Jill and Michael Jeppesen started Dance Church SLC after having experienced it in other states like Washington and California. They are friends and clients of mine and asked me to photograph one of their Dance Church sessions so they could convey the joy and energy of Dance Church to others. I have attended Dance Church several times and it is a wonderful, fun, expressive event. Michael is the DJ and Jill coordinates and speaks at each meaning, providing the group of dancers a wonderful reading and intention before each dance session. She does this at the beginning and end of each Dance Church, with everyone sitting in a communal circle. It’s lovely. I think these photos explain what Dance Church is better than I ever can. Click on the arrow below to start the slideshow.

Music: “Yeke Yeke” Hardfloor Remix by Mory Kante

Click HERE to view all of the photos or order prints. Enter Dance Church in the Search box. All proceeds from Dance Church orders go to maintain and support Dance Church events.

Check out the Dance Church SLC Blog for more info on times and locations.

From the Dance Church SLC blog:

Dance the way your body wants to, without choreography or judgment! Get out of your head and into your body, discovering the innate body wisdom you possess. Ecstatic Dance is an authentic, spontaneous, expressive, meditative movement practice inspired by various people, cultures and practices (Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms™ http://www.gabrielleroth.com, Osho’s moving meditations, Rumi, Vibrational Medicine, Shaking Medicine http://www.shakingmedicine.com, Vinn Marti’s Soul Motion™ http://www.soulmotion.com and, of course, many indigenous cultures).

Go beyond the limits of your habitual movement patterns and explore your unique inner dance. No experience needed, just a willingness to move and be moved! It’s about putting your soul in motion and giving yourself permission to dance without holding back. If you love to dance, this is for you!

We dance barefoot (or with appropriate soft-soled shoes) at our own pace for a little more than an hour. There is no choreography or instruction, but a “focus” and other suggestions may be offered by the facilitator/DJ to help deepen your experience. You’re free to dance by yourself, with another, or join a spontaneous group expression. The music gradually builds to a high energy level and then winds back down to a meditative, relaxing finish. Be prepared to sweat. We become a community or “tribe” that looks forward to dancing together each month. And we look forward to welcoming you into the group!