body language.
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july 2011
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Art by Gerry Segismundo
grae magazine. Publisher
Grae Editor in Chief
Natalie Zigdon content Editor
Sophie Lavac Contributors
Vivienne Mok Jordan Matter Danny Tayenaka Dane Shitagi Eudes De Santana Photographers
Danny Tayenaka Eudes De Santana the treehouse
Natalie Zigdon Cover
Vivienne Mok
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Find us online at GraeMagazine.com Please note all submissions to Grae Magazine are protected by copyright laws which belongs solely to the artist. If you would like to get in touch with any of the artists, please email us and we’ll gladly pass it along. Grae is always looking to expand our team. Whether you’re a photographer, writer, illustrator or designer, we want YOU to be apart of Grae. Email us at inspire@ graemagazine.com
editor’s note. I’m Natalie and I am the creator & editor of Grae Magazine. Grae Magazine was created to uncover underground artists who have a passion for creating. If you’re new to Grae, make sure to check out our talented artists and their take on this world. Read each word with an open mind, lose yourself in our treehouse and indulge yourself in our Rorschach Art Gallery. If you aren’t new to Grae, welcome back. We wanted to take you through the world of dance. We explore dance in every day situations with Jordan Matter’s ‘Dancers Among Us’. We get a behind the scenes look with Twitch photographed by Danny Tayenaka and we see true beauty in Dane Shitagi’s Ballerina Project. Dance is a universal language that is spoken with our very own bodies. No matter what style, dance is used to release emotions, express love and tell a story. Let this issue, filled with body language... speak to you.
July 2011
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TO BE ABLE TO USE BODY LANGUAGE TO COMMUNICATE IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WAYS WE CAN CONNECT WITH A PERSON. DANCE IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE USED TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS AND EVEN TELL A STORY. DANCE CAN PORTRAY AN ENTIRE WORLD WITH SIMPLY MOVING OUR BODIES. REGARDLESS OF THE FORM, IT CAN RELEASE THE POWER INSIDE US. IT CAN ALSO CREATE SOMETHING WE’VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. THE ABILITY TO LET GO AND LET LOOSE OF WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK. DANCE IS AN EXTENTION OF WHAT WE HAVE BUILT UP INSIDE US, READY TO BREAK FREE. IT IS A TRANSLATION OF WHO WE ARE. DANCE IS VERY MUCH ART ITSELF. YOU LOSE YOURSELF AND YOU FIND YOURSELF AT THE SAME TIME. ONLY ART... CAN DO THAT. THIS WORLD IS OUR DANCE FLOOR, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?
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Nikki Jane
d
I will be dancing in my sleep tonight. photography by Vivienne Mok
dancers amon
photograp
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ng us.
phy by jordan matter
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Photographer Jordan Matter took ‘dance like no one’s watching’ to a whole other level. ‘Dancers Among Us’ is an ongoing project that began in the spring of 2009, featuring top professional dancers in everyday situations around New York City and beyond. Featuring raw images of dancers dancing among random strangers and public places makes the ‘Dancers Among Us’ series so intriguing. So, we wanted to know what happens behind the curtain before and after the dancers do what they do best. Jordan was kind enough to answer a few questions about how ‘Dancers Among Us’ came about.
Where did the inspiration for “Dancers Among Us” come from? The inspiration for this project came to me one afternoon as I watched my son play with his toy bus. I was trying to follow the fantasy racing through his three-year-old mind, as he intensely played with a yellow plastic box and armless figurines. At least that’s what I saw. He saw a thriving community rushing to catch the 77 local bus to Australia. He frantically jumped in place, mouth agape and slapping his knees, joyously reacting to a world I couldn’t see, but one nonetheless powerfully present for him. As we get older and wiser, what happens to this enthusiasm, this ability to be wholly present in the moment? Why are these pure moments of passion so often replaced by cynicism, boredom, and indifference? As I played with my son, I thought about creating photographs that would show the world as if through the fantastical eyes of a child. The people in the images would be alive and in the moment, celebrating all aspects and emotions of everyday life.
Was it challenging to find dancers who were willing to pose for your series? The dancers were eager to join me in my quest. In the photographs that we’ve created together, they take aim at Manhattan and at its iconic landscape. They energize everyday situations, dancing in crowds and rejecting the notion of a cold and impersonal city. Flying high and bending low, they celebrate what most people seem to ignore, bringing light and life to ordinary moments. What were the reactions of others while the dancer was dancing randomly in a crowd of people? Onlookers are sometimes fascinated-laughing, gawking in disbelief, and getting caught up in the excitement. At other times the dancers go unnoticed, rejoicing in the solitary moments that so often define life in New York City. Nothing in the fantasy I’m creating is too small or unimportant-- eating, shopping, sleeping, commuting, working, playing, cleaning, dating-- passion, intensity, and humor permeate each activity. What is the process in taking these photos? The process of producing the images is organic; created through a spontaneous collaboration with the dancers. The resulting photographs are unaffected and not highly stylized. The essence of the subject material parallels the current state of our society, where people are finding an appreciation of smaller, simpler pleasures. The images are infused with a humor and joyfulness that make the viewer feel good. The carefree nature of the work is a welcome antidote to the persistent anxiety that defines many Body Language | Grae Magazine |23 people’s lives.
the treehouSe.
where imagination is created. 24 | Grae Magazine | Body Language
I close my eyes, I visualize. I see beyond what’s in sight because the world around me is only temporary. What’s up here, in my mind, I can only try to begin to describe. I feel alive, I feel unreal. My mind is moving at the speed of light, my body is being lifted higher. I can feel the voices in my head, keep moving, keep going. My heart is keeping up, my breath is sweet and serene. My mind is high and intoxicated, it is too occupied to send messages so it leaves my body to do the rest. My feet have a mind of their own, they take the lead, they call all the shots. The music is filling the room, filling my body, my mind, my heart. I feel free, my feet are taking me far, they’re taking me to a place I’ve been to before. A place I can feel myself. I open my eyes, I see an empty room. There are mirrors covering the walls and I only see a strong, hopeful woman staring back at me. I’m in the middle of the rhythm and the beat, I can feel my heart and feet moving to what is flowing from the speakers. It’s just me, right here right now, in this empty room and I have the freedom to be whoever I choose to be.
My mind is still high so I don’t think… I just feel. I start to feel the music in my bones, they are going deep into my skin and taking over my entire body. I close my eyes and my body starts doing what it knows best, it lets the music take control and begins dancing. I suddenly feel at home, I feel safe, complete and happy. My moves speak for me, they sing for me, they paint for me, they translate what my entire being is trying to portray. Dancing is an extension of my heart and this world is my dance floor. The music stops, but my body keeps moving. I’m slowly coming back to reality and I feel my mind slowing down. I open my eyes and I’m suddenly in a room filled with people I recognize. I realize this high was only here because I put it there, that I can feel free and unreal any time I want as long as I never stop moving, as long as I always keep going. My body comes to a stop and I walk over to the stereo and press play. I close my eyes, I visualize. I see beyond what’s in sight because the world around me is only temporary.
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What if you were told exactly when you were going to die. Would you use it to your advantage and conquer your fears because you knew nothing else can kill you? Would you make every single dream a reality because nothing should be stopping you now? Would you actually
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appreciate life and ‘seize the moment’ because you knew how much time you have left? Or would you constantly feel the complete opposite because every single day you’re a day closer to the day you die. I guess you’ll never know. -grae
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TWITCH
PHOTOGRAPHY BY 7SHADESOFGREY INTERVIEW WITH DANNY TAYENAKA 28 | Grae Magazine | Body Language
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Our very own Danny Tayenaka had the pleasure of photographing and spending time with Steven Boss also known as ‘Twitch’ from So You Think You Can Dance and Step Up 3D. We asked Danny a few questions about his experience with Twitch and what he hopes to accomplish as a photographer.
How did the photo shoot with Twitch come about? My brother has a marketing company and an online store called Discount Dance Supply called them up and wanted to have a video made and we convinced them they needed some photos taken. They offered for Twitch to come out and I jumped on the offer right away! Was there anything about Twitch that you didn’t expect? I had only seen him on the show So You Think You Can Dance so I had no idea what he was going to be like in person. As soon as he came in I knew it was going to be a good day, he always had a huge smile on and was up for anything we threw at him. He even choreographed a dance that mixed ballet and his street style within minutes. If everyone was like him my job would be so easy! What is your favorite thing to photograph? I love to shoot people. You have to create a small relationship with people to 30 | Grae Magazine | Body Language get them comfortable in front of the
lens. It’s always fun for me to find out where these people have been and what they’ve been through, then I try to take that and work it into the photos. What do you hope to accomplish with your photography? I eventually want to find some kind of photography project that I can create that will help others. Jeremy Cowart’s Help Portrait is a perfect example I recommend all photographers look this up and participate it’s an amazing thing! Are there any hidden talents or hobbies you have that we don’t know about? I love to surf, It’s such a freeing hobby and it lets every single person express their own style and I feel like it has really has helped me find my photography style. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into dance photography? PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Don’t get down on yourself when you go out and take a 1000 photos but there’s only one that you really love. Take that photo and look at it and figure out why it’s good and try to recreate it. It took me a long time to be able to know when to hit the shutter. The more you do it the more you can start to predict what’s going to happen and you can compose your shot and let the dancer move into where you want them. Go to dance shows or even street performers just get out there and start snapping!
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What is the hardest thing about photographing a person while they’re dancing? I would say there’s not just one hard thing there is the deadly trio. 1. Is knowing the right time to hit the shutter. Too early and they aren’t fully extended and too late they are already moving on to their next hit. 2. Lighting: you want enough to stop the motion (if you’re going for that look) and too much you just blow everything out. 3. Focus: With so much movement it’s easy to miss it. Body Language | Grae Magazine |33
sevenshadesofgrey.com
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rorschach. dont see with your eyes, percieve with your mind. They reflect your own desires and fantasies right back at you. They are a stolen world in which you create the streets, the faces and the sky. These pictures will be whatever you want them to be. To me, art is exactly like a rorschach. There is simplicity in what you are looking at but it is your mind that creates a beyond ordinary place. Every month this section will be filled with brilliant artists who strive to have their art lose you into an entirely different world.When appreciating art, let your mind wander. Let your mind be free.
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Kristine Lee
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Helin Montgomery
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Marcin
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Daniel Gilrodrigo 48 | Grae Magazine | Body Language
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7shadesofgrey
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Lynn Lane Body Language | Grae Magazine |53
Melissa Cooke 54 | Grae Magazine | Body Language
Alyssa Amaro
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Leuan Edwards
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Marcin
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Lynn Lane
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Lynn Lane
Lynn Lane
Lois Van Baarle
“Dancing with the f dancing with the
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feet is one thing, but heart is another.�
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ballerina project
Like a dream becoming reality the Ballerina Project is a series of photographs created by photographer: Dane Shitagi. Crafted over the span of ten years the Ballerina Project is not “dance photography� but an etching of a ballerinas heart and emotions. Every aspect of the Ballerina Project is carefully crafted and cultivated. The project has been photographed entirely on traditional photographic film and not with modern digital cameras. The majority of ballerinas who have posed for the project are professional dancers and the minority are advanced ballet students in renown dance schools. The crafts of dance and photography are truly upheld on both ends of the creation of the Ballerina Project. Photography by Dane Shitagi.
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Josh Liba - Gelato from Italy
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Robyn Lee - New York
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Helvetica - Sushi from Japan
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Nicole Nursen - Naan Bread from India
speak to me with y
Photography by Eud
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your body language.
des de Santana
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our tomboy issue coming September 2011 Whether you’re a boy or a girl you’ll love our next issue. Send in your artwork to inspire@graemagazine.com Send in any art regardless of the theme to be featured in our Rorschach Gallery as well.
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Contribute to grae. Rorschach. Want to have your art work featured in Grae? Send your art work to inspire [at] graemagazine.com. How do you know you’re qualified? Grae is searching for underground artists and people who simply have a passion to create. Whether it is a picture, a song, a canvas or a story. If you think your creations are creative and inspiring then you are more than qualified… you’re exactly what we’re looking for!
The TreehouSe. Consider yourself a writer? Send us a sample of your writing or a piece you wrote especially for Grae’s theme of the month and your work could be featured in our treehouse section. We only take fiction and creative writing. We’re not trying to sell anything or promote anyone in this section. The treehouse is all about writing with a twist. Show us your creative side by sending your work to inspire [at] graemagazine. com.
Featured InterviewS. Think you deserve a featured spread showcasing your art and your mind? So do we. Send us 3-4 photos of your artwork to inspire [at] graemagazine.com and we’ll answer back with the intriguing questions. You can get a featured spread with an interview by simply speaking up. How will we ever know you’re there unless you don’t use your voice? Don’t be shy. Feeling the opposite and think you know of the perfect artist to interview? Do your thing and send us the artwork and interview you’ve set up for them. We’ll be more than happy to feature you as the brilliant writer who found such an inspiring artist. Maybe you’re not a brilliant writer, just really good at asking questions. Hey, we’ll take it.
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Eudes De Santana
Thank you To ThoSe who live to create. Vivienne Mok
alyssa amaro
Jordan Matter
leuan edwards
Danny Tayenaka
kristine lee
Dane Shitagi
helin montgomery
Eudes De Santana
marcin
Gerry segismundo
lynn lane
kristine lee
daniel gilrodrigo
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