Rush hour: Jeffrey Smith shows off his moves in Times Square in New York, as the subway races by New York City photographer Jordan Matter has managed to capture dancers across the nation striking complex poses in scenes of their everyday life. Matter began the project, 'Dancers Among Us' in 2009 - when he asked a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company to dance in regular clothes off the stage and instead on a stubway platform.
Deep in thought: Michelle Fleet straddles between a bookshelf and a reading podium at the New York Public Library 'In that image Matter found what he’d been searching for: a way to express the feeling of being fully alive in the moment, unself-conscious, present,' according to a statement on his website.
Dancer crossing: In Chicago, dancers Angela Dice and Demetrius McClendon leap among pedestrians at a street crossing
Come fly with me: Marcella Guarino gracefully leaps to the pilot at the VIP Heliport in New York
Shop till you drop: A weighed down shopper, Arianna Bickle, manages a striking leg hold as bystanders go their way on Madison Avenue in New York But he decided to expand out from just the Big Apple and capture dancers nationwide against the backdrop of their own cities. From Washington, DC to Chicago to Seattle to California, Matter traveled far and wide to snap the artists in the unusual scenes.
Seaside: Danielle Brown gets a lift and touches the flocking seagulls on a beach in Sarasota, Florida The photos have been compiled into a 240-page photo book, 'Dancers Among Us: A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday.' Matter said the book 'presents one thrilling photograph after another of dancers leaping, spinning, lifting, kicking—but in the midst of daily life: on the beach, at a construction site, in a library, a restaurant, a park.'
Surfs up: Brendan Barthel excitedly finds his way to the water at the beach in Half Moon Bay, California
Slip 'n slide: Matt Oaks lets the camera in for a personal look at his pose as he showers in Astoria, Queens 'With each image the reader feels buoyed up, eager to see the next bit of magic,' he explained. The photographer insists that these are actual feats accomplished by real life dancers and not the product of trick photography. 'There is no photoshopping here, no trampolines, no gimmicks, no tricks. Just a photographer, his vision, and the serendipity of what happens when the shutter clicks.
Carry me on: Sun Chong hangs on to his mother, in front of the Capitol in Washington, DC
Stormy weather: Angelica Generosa strikes a pose in front of the Space Needle in Seattle
Snow day: Michael McBride balances himself with a snow shovel in front of the Apollo Theater in Harlem
Railroad crossing: Erin Rye is fearless as she jumps the tracks as a train approaches
Time out! Claire Conaty makes a scene during class, to her teacher's chagrin, at her school in Seattle
On the floor: Sarah Braverman shows off her moves on the dance floor at the Blue Bar in Miami
Leg up: Rachel Bell leans back over the city of Baltimore
