Dancers Bare It All In Streets Of NYC For Striking Portrait Series: Dancers After Dark [NSFW]

Jordan Matter, the photographer behind New York Times Bestseller, Dancers Among Us, has been hard at work on his next project, Dancers After Dark. Once again, Matter has teamed up with a handful of professional dancers to photograph them performing their artistic movements, but with Dancers After Dark, Matter takes a riskier approach. The dancers, all of whom are nude, take to the pre-dawn New York City streets where they slip into their birthday suits and strike a pose.

“There is no obvious reason why any of these amazing performers would volunteer for this project; it’s cold, it’s late, it’s dangerous, it’s illegal, it’s unpaid, and, of course, it’s NAKED,” Matter said.

The creative intentions behind the decision to work with nude models for this project are many. The juxtaposition between the gritty city streets and the sheer gracefulness of the dancers’ bodies comes to mind. Of course, the dancers’ bodies are works of art in their own right, each having been carefully sculpted by years of diligent training and devotion. But, for Matter the real drive behind Dancers Among Us is the opportunity it presents. As Matter explains…

“At its core, Dancers After Dark is about a willingness to say “yes” rather than “no,” about finding a passion and pursuing it without apprehension or doubt.  Often in life we have to run towards our goals blindfolded, trusting our instincts to guide us. Each of these images is a product of serendipity. Our willingness to throw ourselves into the streets without fear of failure (or incarceration) has led to results we could not have imagined.”

Matter can often be found photographing for the project as late as 1, 2, sometimes 3 AM, despite knowing he will have to be up in just several short hours. A true labor of love, he also risks the possibility of being caught and thrown into jail. But, that doesn’t deter Matter, he says Dancers After Dark has been the most fulfilling experience he’s had. The kind of project that makes his heart race uncontrollably, that triggers an unparalleled flow of creative energy. You know, the kind of project we all strive to be a part of.

To see more images from this inspiring collection, be sure to visit Matter’s website and Instagram. In the meantime, treat yourself to some behind the scenes footage from the project for a little inspiration of your own:

[via Reddit ]