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Fire Dancer Natalia in Porto

I photographed Natalia’s street performance in Porto on 7 August 2025. Fire lit her face and the paving stones against a deep blue evening sky, with people standing and sitting close to the performance.

DATE: 7 August 2025
PLACE: Porto, Portugal
EVENT: Street performance
PHOTOGRAPHS: 73

Natalia kneels beside a fire bowl, a small flame lighting her face and hands.

ABOUT THE SERIES

I happened upon Natalia’s performance the previous evening and stayed to watch. Afterwards, I asked if I could return the next day to take photographs. This series came from that return visit: I brought a 50 mm lens and followed the changing firelight as she moved.

Large arcs of fire alternate with a small flame held above open palms. Fire fans, a burning staff and a fire bowl shift the direction of the light and the rhythm of the images. Read more about the encounter and the photographs in Natalia’s story in the Journal.

FULL GALLERY

73 photographs

Natalia kneels on the cobblestones and watches a flame between her hands.

Natalia reaches both hands above her head and watches a flame against the blue evening sky.

Natalia holds burning fans in front of her chest, with a dim building facade behind her.

Natalia crouches low and blows towards a fire bowl on the cobblestones.

A close view of Natalia watching a flame between her hands in front of her face.

Natalia raises a small flame above her face, with a building facade behind her at dusk.

Natalia balances on one leg with fire fans spread wide; a fire bowl burns in the foreground.

Natalia moves burning fans in front of her, her hair swinging as she turns.

Natalia raises a burning fan high above her head, with a dark tower behind her.

Natalia holds a fire fan overhead and looks towards the audience.

Natalia extends a burning fan low to one side, with a show sign standing in the background.

Natalia stands with feet apart and fire fans in front of her face, a show sign beside her.

A side view of Natalia kneeling and holding two fire fans in front of her.

Natalia kneels and tilts her head towards the burning fans against the evening sky.

Natalia kneels with her arms raised, a small flame overhead and spectators behind her.

Natalia watches a flame moving between her hands with one knee on the cobblestones.

A front view of Natalia with her hands around a small flame at chest height.

Natalia reaches high towards a flame against a deep blue sky.

A low-angle portrait of Natalia, with a small flame lighting her raised hands and face.

Natalia bends over a flame between her hands, with a fire bowl on the ground to the right.

Natalia kneels beside a fire bowl and watches a small flame above her palms.

Natalia kneels with her hands beneath a flame and blows towards it.

Natalia watches a flame above her palms while a fire bowl beside her lights the cobblestones.

Natalia kneels with her head lowered and fire fans extended to either side.

Natalia looks upwards and opens both fire fans in front of the audience.

Natalia lifts one knee as she dances and moves a fire fan over her head.

Natalia spins fire fans in front of her, with flames at face and waist height.

Natalia looks up towards two burning fans raised above her head.

Natalia kneels with her knees apart and reaches her hands around a small flame.

A close view of Natalia's face, with a small flame beside her cheek and hands on either side.

Natalia turns while kneeling, her hair swinging and a small flame above one hand.

Natalia holds one hand above her head and extends the other towards a small flame.

Natalia stands with her arms raised, a small flame beside her face and spectators behind her.

Natalia leans to one side while kneeling and watches a flame between her hands.

Natalia kneels with her hands held high, looking towards a small flame above her head.

A full-length view of Natalia raising her hands and a flame against the evening sky.

Natalia bends over a small flame, with spectators and a burning bowl to her right.

Natalia bends forward with a small flame between her hands and a fire bowl burning beside her.

Natalia kneels with her hands beneath a small flame while a tall flame rises from the bowl beside her.

Natalia moves a staff burning at both ends diagonally beside her head and shoulder.

Natalia jumps during a turn, with fire fans at waist height and her hair flying upwards.

Natalia dances with two fire fans, one arm raised above her head and spectators behind her.

Natalia extends one fire fan high above her and holds the other low beside her body.

Natalia dances with two open fire fans as spectators sit and stand behind her.

Natalia turns her back towards the viewer, holding one fire fan high and the other low.

Natalia spreads her arms, with a large fire fan on the left and spectators in the background.

Natalia steps to one side while holding a burning fan upright in front of her face.

Natalia raises both fire fans overhead while a fire bowl burns on the ground to the right.

Natalia holds one fire fan above her head and extends the other straight in front of her.

Natalia crouches and leans over a fire bowl, with performance props on the ground in front of her.

Natalia stands with one hand overhead while spinning a burning staff beside her legs.

Natalia crouches and holds a staff burning at both ends low beside a fire bowl.

Natalia kneels with a fire fan, its large flames lighting her face.

Natalia crouches with two fire fans, holding one above a fire bowl.

Natalia turns with fire fans in front of the audience, with a small folding stool in the foreground.

Natalia dances with her back towards the viewer, fire fans spread wide and a stool in front of her.

Natalia turns with two fire fans held low, their flames around her waist.

Natalia leans forward with a burning staff held diagonally behind her shoulder.

Natalia spins a staff burning at both ends in front of her waist, with a fire bowl on the ground nearby.

A wider view of Natalia crouching beside a fire bowl, with a burning staff above the cobblestones.

A close view of two fire fans whose flames obscure Natalia's face.

Natalia smiles between burning fans with one hand raised high above her head.

A close view of Natalia holding a staff burning at both ends at an angle in front of her.

Natalia stands in front of the audience with a burning staff moving vertically in front of her body.

Natalia leans forward with a burning staff almost upright behind her shoulder.

Natalia raises a burning staff above her head, with spectators behind her under the evening sky.

Natalia stands with one arm raised and a burning staff angled at shoulder height.

Flames from two fire fans fill the foreground and obscure Natalia's face.

Natalia smiles and steps across the cobblestones with a burning staff in front of the audience.

Natalia moves a staff burning at both ends in front of her open hand, with sparks rising from the flames.

Natalia moves into a low lunge with a burning staff, its light falling across the cobblestones.

USAGE

Please contact Anti Soosaar to request permission to use the photographs.

Fire Dancer Natalia in Porto

Natalia, After Dark

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