Montreal born Michael Slobodian graduated from Concordia University with a BA in Communication Studies, and shortly after became a studio assistant and manager for a commercial photographer. He has been a professional photographer shooting fashion, commercial, portrait and dance work in Montreal since 1984. His love of dance has led him to work with many dancers and companies in Canada and abroad.
His work has been published in Canada and abroad in commercial brochures, magazines, posters, books and web sites. He has exhibited his dance images at various venues in Canada and abroad and his work has been described by colleagues as having a romantic, poetic quality.
For Slobodian the ideal dance image articulates the explosive quality of the motion and the physical intensity of the dancer, but above all else, it documents with conviction the fierce commitment of these artists. Equally at ease in the studio or on the set, he prefers the excitement of live performance in which compositional questions must be resolved quickly, under less than perfect conditions.
He has delved into the field of video and has collaborated with dance choreographers to create visual landscapes for their works. Michael’s films have screened at numerous festivals, including the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), Le Festival International du Film sur l’Art (FIFA- Montreal), CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (Toronto), the Portable Film Festival! (AUS), moves - International Festival of Movement on Screen (UK), Festival Transatlantique Montréal (Canada), CODE the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad’s digital edition, WestFest Film Festival (USA), Festival Regard sur le court métrage au Saguenay (Canada), Leamington Underground Cinema Festival (UK), Cinedans (Netherlands) and Choreoscope (Spain).
Broadcasters include The Moviola TV Network, the Portable Film Festival!, and CTV Television’s Bravo!FACT.
Michael continues to pursue his love of the dance image.