Matter - Born to dance: celebrating the wonder of childhood

Brave, Kate, Olivia, Billie, Daisy, Ayshia-Mila, Kaiya Ages 9 to 15 Melbourne, Australia born to dance Celebrating the Wonder of Childhood jordan matter Workman Publishing New York Y ears ago, I was working as a waiter in New York City when I had this brief exchange with my wife: I think I want to take a photography course. You should do it. You never know. You might like it. Its really expensive. We can always eat less.

Behind every great woman there is a man who married up. I am that man. Nothing Ive achieved in my life would have been possible without the support and encouragement of my wife, Lauren. Thank you, my love. Hudson and Salish, I traveled a lot to make this book, and missed many bedtimes. Thank you for your understanding.

You inspire me every day to be the best version of myself. I love you. Shylee Age 5 Steamboat Springs, CO Contents foreword by Holly Hatcher-Frazier and Nia Sioux S ome of you may know my daughter, Nia Sioux, from the hit television show Dance Moms. Nia learned a lot from her time on television. She had fun, honed her dance skills, experienced heartbreak, and really grew up there. The life lessons that we hold most dear have come from dance.

Dance is storytelling and language; it is a means of expressing emotions both powerful and beautiful. Dance requires you to build your problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Dance is multicultural. It transcends boundaries; it creates and connects friends. Dance allows you to discover and convey your unique sense of self. Dance invites you to take risks; it challenges you to overcome your own perceived limits, and in so doing fosters confidence and courage.

These lessons encompass so much of what Jordan achieves in his photographs. Whether it is a video of his 10 Minute Photo Challenge or having a dancer do the same jump for the tenth time, Jordan believes in the story each dancer has to telland he translates it into photography with exquisite beauty and emotion. He captures a visual representation of the commitment, dedication, and love of dance. Working with him has been a joyas is viewing these exceptional photographs. Holly Hatcher-Frazier F rom the moment I first read Jordans book Dancers Among Us I wanted to work with him. I loved the book because it showed dancers of all ages, races, and abilitiesall of them different and beautiful in their own way.

It inspired me, gave me joy, and made me laugh. My goal is to make people feel something through dance. Being on Dance Moms gave me a vehicle to do this. Growing up is hard, regardless of your background, age, or whether you are on television or not. Its just hard. It was important for me to show girls that you can be whatever you want to be and that you are beautiful just the way you are.

If kids do not have examples of independence and beauty, it can be hard for them to envision it. I want them to know that its a good thing to be uniquely you. Dance Moms also inspired me to develop a weekly series on my social media called Role Model Mondays where I share stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I love showcasing these stories because it reminds us that people can follow their passions while making a difference and impacting the world. It has been a privilege and honor to work with Jordan. He captures what I value most in dancebeauty, risk-taking, storytelling, and diversity.

He sees and affirms the individuality in each dancer, and he makes it his mission to have his photographs reflect the beauty of each dancers movements and strengths. I love that this book shows the beauty in the development of dancers. It takes years of preparation, hard work, and diligence to become a dancer, but it also takes a spirit of fun mixed with adventure. I am excited for you to see these young dancers through Jordans lens. I know his work will inspire you as it continues to inspire me as a dancer, an artist, and a person. Nia Sioux introduction I pulled my daughter away from a warm fire and hot chocolate to help me shovel snow off the sidewalk.

She sagged her shoulders and gave me a look, then noticed her brother was almost out the door and rushed to beat him. She had settled in to the task when I glanced over and saw a dress peeking out from under her jacket. It was irresistibly cute, so I quickly grabbed my camera. She looked right at me and hit an awkward arabesque. With that action, she had taken a mundane task and imbued it with beauty, humor, and passion. Born to Dance was conceived! One way or another, each kid in this book told me they were born to dance.

They spend almost every waking moment dancing, even (and especially) when theyre not on stage. A trip to the grocery store is not complete without a pirouette or grande jet, and good luck getting through dinner without a chass. They dont choose to dance. Dance has chosen them. There are challenges. They can be bullied and ostracized.

There is sweat, pain, exhaustion, and disappointment, but their lives are filled with triumph. Not always the kind they imagine. Prizes and medals arent always awarded. It is a triumph of courage. While they probably dont realize it, they have found the piece that makes them whole, and they do not allow peer pressure or self-doubt to discourage themat least not for long. Born to Dance celebrates the limitless possibilities of childhood, and the authenticity with which kids live every moment. Salish Age 7, Palisades, NY play with me I am as boisterous and loud as my wife is calm and content. Salish Age 7, Palisades, NY play with me I am as boisterous and loud as my wife is calm and content.

She is the exception in our family; both our kids seem to have inherited my penchant for overexcitement. When I get home after a day at my studio, the ensuing mayhem can be enough to drive even a sober person to the nearest cocktail lounge. One day I arrived with my daughters favorite treata tin box of spearmint Altoids. I held them just out of her reach. The squealing began immediately, followed by laughing, shrieking, and chasing around the house. She had to have those mints! My wife, exhausted from a very long day, quietly asked me if our game had to be quite so intense.

Honey, I said, she cares about mints. Mints! How much longer will this last? This resonated with her too, and she stopped what she was doing to play along with us. Am I nostalgic, or have these moments become less common recently? When did play become such hard work? A play date increasingly seems to be an opportunity for kids to sit next to each other while they zone out on their devices. If someone suggests they go outside and play, the befuddled look on their faces would be hysterical if it wasnt so tragic. Of course, parents are not immune to this curse either. My kids will say without hesitation that my top priorities are 1) my phone, and 2) my computer (they constantly argue about which one of them is third).