Book (p)review: Jordan Matter: Dancers among us - A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday
Monday, 16/02/2015
Workman Publishing, 2012
Dancers are storytellers. They're trained to capture passion with their bodies. The often create a fantasy world or offer us a deeper look into familiar settings. They bring to life what we feel but what most of us, lacking their artistry and athleticism, are unable to express physically.
Jordan Matter
Concert and festival photography has been my great passion for some time, but the truth is that all kind of stage performance (e.g. theatre) makes me feel those little butterflies of excitement in my stomach. Besides music, I’ve been honoured to photograph dancers and dance performances for few years now, privileged to work with well known dance school and production house Plesna Izba Maribor in the town where I live in. So, my (p)review of this book that focuses on dancers and not musicians shouldn’t be surprise to any of my blog’s regular readers.
Jeffrey Smith, New York, NY
That said, I have to admit that two months ago, I didn’t know anything about the photographer Jordan Matter, let alone of his famous photo project "Dancers among us". In preproduction for the photoshoot I had with two young and very talented Slovenian dancers Monja Lorenčič and Domen Žugelj recently, it was they who told me about Mr. Matter and his great photos. I googled him, loved what he is doing and ordered this book via fabulous Book Depository (free delivery worldwide) immediately. Although there were a lot of images from this project already online, the book has actually so much more - if you like what you see on the official’s project website, you’ll love the book, simple as that!
Marissa Quimby, Seattle, WA
The basic idea behind this photos is dancers doing their thing in usual, everyday situations. Dancers being "fully alive in the moment, unself-conscious, present". Dancers being dancers! Amazing as the photos from this project are (no photo-shopping, trampolines or hidden wires here, as author proudly states), Jordan Matter’s own story is in a way even more amazing. He wanted to become a professional baseball player, majored in theatre, worked as actor, and after one Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibition that changed his life, became a photographer. Coming from an artistic family (he is a grandson of Herbert and Mercedes Matter, a very successful photographer and painter, respectively, and the son of filmaker Alex Matter and Ford model Paula Feiten), this actually shouldn’t be a big surprise. Inspirational, nevertheless.
Parisa Khobdeh, Yankees Stadium, NY
Great ideas + brilliant dancers = amazing photographs
The book is divided into seven chapters (with titles like "Dreaming", "Loving", "Playing", "Exploring") and every chapter has a short but very inspirational intro text not about dance and dancers per se, but about authors life, family, children, love, death and similar themes. Every image in the book has a title, the name of the dancer(s) and a location, while few of the images are supplemented with 4-5 images of the same scene, showing us that to get that perfect moment of that millisecond, is actually hard work - great addition to the book! But, the real gem is "Behind the scene" section that talks about some of the images in the book, and is an excellent bonus content, especially for photographers!
What happens to this enthusiasm, this ability to be wholly present in the moment? Why are these pure moments of passion so often replaced with cynicism, boredom, and indifference? As I played with my son, I thought about creating photographs that would show the world as if through his eyes. The people in the images would be alive and in the moment, celebrating all aspects and emotions of everyday life.
Jordan Matter
Jordan Matter has been shooting dancers for this project for three years and all around the United States (he still does it, and now around the world) and he had dancers traveling seven hours just to do a shoot with him. The photographs in the book (and some new ones on the site) are so amazing, that just to pick few ones that I included in this blogpost, has been a tough call.
Matt Oaks, Astoria, NY
To summarise, "Dancers among us - A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday" is an awesome book of even more awesome project, that I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in dance and/or dance photography!
All photographs published with author's permission.
Evgeniya Chernukhina, Philadelphia, PA Photo: © Jordan Matter
Kristin DeCesare and Jessica Press, New York, NY Photo: © Jordan Matter
Noble Motion Dance, Houston, TX Photo: © Jordan Matter
Lisa Cole, New York, NY Photo: © Jordan Matter
Product info
Dancers among us: A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday
Author: Jordan Matter
Format: Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Published: November 2012
ISBN-10: 0761171703
ISBN-13: 978-0761171706
Website: www.dancersamongus.com
Get your copy at:
Temporalnost drugih
GT22, Intimni oder, Maribor (Slovenia), 09/12/2024
(zgodovinska) refleksija v gibu, zvoku in besedi
I was hired to document the premiere performance of another masterpiece from KUD Baobab production called "Temporalnost drugih". It was another great dance performance which I really enjoyed!
Pandora - Art of Pole studio photoshoot #2
Saturday, 02/11/2024
After an intense yet energising first day of our pole dance studio photoshoot, the second day took on a different approach. While the first day was focused on capturing a large number of dancers with a tight schedule, the second day was reserved for the teachers of Pandora - Art of Pole, a renowned pole dance school in Maribor.
Pandora - Art of Pole studio photoshoot #1
Saturday, 26/10/2024
A few months ago, I had the privilege of photographing the talented pole dancers (and some of their teachers) from Pandora - Art of Pole, a well-known Maribor-based pole dance school, in a studio setting. This wasn’t my first time capturing their artistry — it’s become a wonderful tradition to provide the students with lasting memories of their hard work throughout the school year and the incredible progress they’ve made.
Festival Platforma 2024, part 3
Festival Platforma, Maribor (Slovenia), 28/08 > 31/08/2024
18. Platforma sodobnega plesa (18th Platform of Contemporary Dance)
All good things must come to an end, and after four incredible days of performances, this year's edition of Festival Platforma has officially closed its curtain.
Festival Platforma 2024, part 2
Festival Platforma, Maribor (Slovenia), 28/08 > 31/08/2024
18. Platforma sodobnega plesa (18th Platform of Contemporary Dance)
Although few events have already taken place, the official opening of the 18th edition of Festival Platforma was reserved for the Italian performance titled "Graces" ("Gracije"), choreographed by Silvia Gribaudi.
Festival Platforma 2024, part 1
Festival Platforma, Maribor (Slovenia), 28/08 > 31/08/2024
18. Platforma sodobnega plesa (18th Platform of Contemporary Dance)
Maribor was once again alive with contemporary dance performances, as Festival Platforma took over various venues around the city for the 18th year in a row!
Štirje letni časi - Pandorina skrinjica 2024
Narodni dom Maribor, Dvorana generala Maistra, Maribor (Slovenia), 11/05 > 12/05/2024
My fourth Pandorina skrinjica, annual dance performance of the pole dance school "Pandora - Art of Pole", was amazing weekend in a great crowd, as always! :)
Dancers in studio photo shoot: Jasha Robnik
Friday, 13/01/2023
Last year I had the privilege to work with another very talented young dancer (and dance teacher) Jasha Robnik!
Potujte s Pandoro - Pandorina skrinjica 2019
Narodni dom Maribor, Dvorana generala Maistra, Maribor (Slovenia), 25/05/2019
Though I’ve been photographing dancers for about a decade now, I have to admit this was my first time I was shooting pole dancers — can’t believe what I was missing! :)
34. Zimska plesna šola / 34th Winter dance school
Zimska plesna šola / Winter dance school, Maribor (Slovenia), 22/02 > 25/02/2019
Once again, I was very privileged to be surrounded with amazing young talents and their great dance mentors - really inspiring weekend! :)
32. Zimska plesna šola / 32nd Winter dance school
Zimska plesna šola / Winter dance school, Maribor (Slovenia), 24/02 > 27/02/2017
This past weekend I was very happy and privileged, to document 32nd Winter dance school (32. Zimska plesna šola) - my third in a roll - that was organised by JSKD and held in Plesna izba Maribor. Full of very talented young dancers and their great mentors, this workshop was again, just as last two years, a joy to photograph! :)
Mično pomično 2016 - Gathering of belly dance groups in Maribor
Dom kulture Pekre, Pekre (Slovenia), 04/06/2016
Continuing our fruitful collaboration after last year’s debut, I had a privilege to photograph another gathering of belly dance groups in Maribor titled "Mično pomično".
The Moving Gallery - group photography exhibition plus contemporary dance
Thursday, 30/08/2012
Murska Sobota, August 31st and September 1st 2012
Some of the photos that I took at the recent dance photography workshop with Chris Nash, along with the ones from my fellow photographers, will be shown as part of The Moving Gallery project in the next two days, as part of Front@, contemporary dance festival.
Impressions from Dance Photography Workshop with Chris Nash
Thursday, 30/08/2012
Great photography workshop with one of the worlds leading dance photographers
Two days photography workshop with great energy and fun!
Book (p)review - Gail Buckland: Who Shot Rock & Roll, A Photographic History, 1955 - Present
Thursday, 15/12/2011
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2009
With over 300 black & white and color photographs - something like "Who is who?" in music photography in the last 50 years - "Who Shot Rock & Roll" is really a must have for all music photographers out there. Christmas is coming, so if you have somebody who is crazy about concert and music photography, why not give them something that will definitely put a big smile on their face?
Photo book "Moj vikend u zemlji čudesa" is out
Friday, 11/11/2011
Photo book documenting the recording of Pips, Chips & Videoclips live DVD "2x2", with 40 pages of good stuff for bands fans
The long awaited day for the release of this DVD is finally here and with that, it gives me great pleasure to say, my self-published photo book also!
Beyond thank you!
Monday, 10/10/2011
My photo to be published in the new 1x.com book
Today I got the final email confirming that my photo "Thank you!" will be published in the new 1x.com book called "Beyond", a yearly showcase of best photographs from the 1x.com site.
Ljubi kruhek
SNG Maribor, Velika dvorana, Maribor (Slovenia), 24/06/2011
