Tiny dancers have proven that it is possible to practice their best skills in any setting, including the busy streets of New York City.
Photographer Jordan Matter, 51, partnered with Dance Moms alums Lilly Ketchman, nine, and Elliana Walmsley, 10, for two incredible photo shoots this fall.
Each time, he gave himself a 10-minute limit, and the team had to take as many great shots as possible while the clock was ticking, and as a videographer captured their adventures on film.
Tiny dancer: Photographer Jordan Matter , 51, partnered with Dance Moms alums Lilly Ketchman, nine, for an incredible, 10-minute photo shoot in New York City
Hello hello baby I can’t hear a thing: Lilly climbed up a phone booth and snagged another amazing picture, holding up the phone to her ear while leaning against the booth
The first video, which features Lilly as its star, sees Jordan and the girl, as well as Lilly’s mother, Stacey Ketchman, hopping from one location to the next on the Upper West Side.
All three of them stayed on one block around Columbus Avenue and 82nd Street, with Stacey keeping an eye on the watch.
Jordan and Lilly managed to get an impressive two excellent shots in the first minute of their experiment, before Lilly climbed up a phone booth and snagged another amazing picture, holding up the phone to her ear while leaning against the booth with her shin at a 90-degree angle with the rest of her body.
Lilly then nailed two jumps, one for which Jordan had to wait for the busy New York City sidewalks to clear up, and the other on a crosswalk, with Jordan kneeling dangerously close to traffic to capture the perfect image.
The trio’s frantic 10 minutes ended with Lilly popping balloons while performing no less than four arabesques.
Taking risks: The dancer then nailed two jumps, including one on a crosswalk, with Jordan kneeling dangerously close to traffic to capture the perfect image
Trio: Lilly, her mother Stacey Ketchman, and Jordan, stayed on one block around Columbus Avenue and 82nd Street, with Stacey keeping an eye on the watch
After the experiment, she got to give Jordan a taste of his own medicine by grabbing his camera and trying to get him to replicate one of her poses, shouting instructions in his direction, to no avail.
Last week, Jordan completed another timed session, this time with Elliana and her mother, Yolanda Walmsley.
All three gathered near 72nd Street and Broadway, and began right outside of the corresponding Subway stop.
Elliana nailed an impressive shot by jumping up from a bench and crossing her legs while mid-air, as onlookers pretended that nothing unusual was happening.
Then, Jordan and the dancer ran to a snack shop and purchased a bottle of lemonade, all while the clock kept ticking.
The lemonade turned out to be a prop for their next photo, which sees Elliana doing an oversplit jump with the open drink in her hand and droplets flying across the air.
An official interrupted the shoot by telling Jordan he wasn’t allowed to shoot in this location, at which point the group promptly got up and hurried off to another place.
Elliana impressively performed a similarly impressive jump, making it look like she was about to hop above a Subway turnstile.
Then, she did the standing splits on an MTA vending machine, as if bending backwards after purchasing a Subway card.
Back at it: Last week, Jordan completed another timed session, this time with Elliana and her mother, Yolanda Walmsley
Time for a drink: Jordan and the dancer ran to a snack shop and purchased a bottle of lemonade, all while the clock kept ticking, and Elliana used it as a prop in the next frame
That’s one way to commute: Then, Elliana did the standing splits on an MTA vending machine, as if bending backwards after purchasing a Subway card
She makes it look so easy! The tiny dancer pulled off an amazing back bend, this time on a crosswalk reaching for her own ankles with her body completely turned upside down
Jordan carried her on his shoulders to their next location, a clothing store where Elliana performed a back bend while pretending to look at garments.
Next, the tiny dancer pulled off an amazing back bend, this time on a crosswalk reaching for her own ankles with her body completely turned upside down.
Lilly made a surprise appearance to help her fellow Dance Moms cast member with the last picture, and both girls grabbed fruit at an outdoor stand (with the vendor’s permission) to examine it while doing the needle, a move that involves bringing one’s leg above one’s head with the hands wrapping around the calf.
Jordan, who has performed many similar 10-minute challenges in the past, hilariously tried to replicate Elliana’s MTA vending machine back bend, but almost injured himself in the process.
The photographer is an expert at setting shoots in unexpected locations, especially ones where he’s not exactly supposed to take pictures, such as the New York Public Library or the inside of a mall.
He plans on doing a similar 10-minute challenge with Dance Moms alum Nia Sioux, 16, with whom he has already collaborated on a short clip.
His photo shoots with the show’s dancers are destined to become a book called Born To Dance, due to be released next year.