Jordan Matter - Dancers After Dark

I was a shy kid teased for having a funny name and bright red hair, but after dark I became a star. The chaos and vulnerability of the day became a distant memory, and the evenings tranquility brought with it joy and stability. Whatever challenges my life presented were overshadowed by twilight dreams of a better tomorrow. I fantasized about the adventures I would have and the worlds I would conquer. Many years later, my nights are still filled with adventure, but now I have the assistance of kindred spirits. Dancers are dreamers.

Many have left the comfort zone of a familiar life to pursue an ambition fraught with nearly impossible odds of success. They work countless hours over many years, driven not by profit or fame but by a quest to bring their dream world to reality. Etched into their bodies is extraordinary perseverance, and when stripped of their clothing we see each layer of muscle and every subtlety of expression. They are an inspiring embodiment of intense commitment to a lifes passion. Dancers After Dark celebrates this optimism. It is about a willingness to say yes to the unlikely, the outrageous, the impractical.

There is no obvious reason why any of these amazing performers would volunteer for this project. It was frequently very cold; it was usually late; it was dangerous, illegal, exhausting, and, of course, theyre naked . Yet they still said yes. Why? Because they shared my belief that if we leap, the net will appear. Often in life we have to run toward our goals blindfolded, trusting our instincts to guide us. These images represent our willingness to throw ourselves into the streets without fear of failure.

Doing so led to beauty and exhilaration we could not have imagined. I hope these photographs convey the immense thrill and joy we felt while creating them. ferocity Ferocity can seem like a negativealmost violentemotion, but I think every artist understands it. When I have an idea, an aim, an uncontrollable passion, I get into a space where there is nothing, nothing at all that will prevent me from bringing that idea to fruition. Then I am ferocious. Alan Cumming (pictured center) 2:33 a.m.

Carlyle Hotel, New York, NY 12:05 a.m. Notre Dame, Paris, France Dont count the days, make the days count. Muhammad Ali 1:31 a.m. Texas State Capitol, Austin, TX 9:37 p.m. United States Capitol, Washington, DC 12:40 a.m. Chinatown, San Francisco, CA 7:32 p.m.

Chelsea, New York, NY Whats the good of living if you dont try a few things? Charles M. Schulz 10:22 p.m. Hells Kitchen, New York, NY You cant steal second and keep one foot on first. Robert quillen 12:51 a.m. Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY 2:24 a.m. St. St.

Francis of Assisi 1:36 a.m. Hollywood, CA 2:41 a.m. Austin, TX 8:30 p.m. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany 10:16 p.m. New York, NY Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous. Bill Moyers 8:26 p.m.

Tribeca, New York, NY 2:10 a.m. Hudson River Park Bikeway, New York, NY 11:24 p.m. Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami, FL 12:52 a.m. Times Square, New York, NY 3:34 a.m. L Train, Chicago, IL 11:04 p.m. Berlin, Germany Never tell people how to do things.

Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. General George S. Patton Jr. 1:48 a.m. Columbus Circle, New York, NY