What gave you the idea of the series?
I’ve been shooting several contemporary dance companies for the past few years and often wondered what it would be like to reintroduce dance into less typical environments and return dance to its urban tribal roots.
Was the dancer’s internal dialogue dictated by you or the dancers?
Both. It was an open-ended collaboration with the dancers from the locations and costumes to the choreography and the internal dialogue. I thrive on the creative energy of the dancers and their unique perspectives. One of the dancers had always dreamed of doing acrobatics on public transport – while the logistics were a little tricky I just couldn’t resist the challenge!
What was the most challenging shoot?
The most technically difficult was capturing the fire dancing brilliance of Karen Ng, but the most challenging was probably the shoot at Senoko Fish Market on account of dodging fork lift trucks while avoiding falling of the fish strewn floors!
What was the most interesting crowd reaction you got?
The most enthusiastic response was in Little India while shooting a traditional Tahitian dancer. You can imagine the reaction when a lady dressed in little more than a grass skirt and coconuts starts dancing in the middle of a street. By the time we finished shooting that we had an audience of around 80 people who appeared out of nowhere. We had to make a rapid exit!
Is this your day job?
During the day, I work for a large multinational bank and exercise my logical and organization brain. During the evenings and weekends, I indulge my passion for Fine Arts Photography. I need both outlets to feel truly fulfilled.
Matthew G. Johnson’s first solo exhibition, Urban Tribal Dance runs from March 9-18.
