Jordan Ferreira
The Dancer’s House
Jordan Ferreira
The Dancer’s House
HeyBoy Exclusive
Photographer: Jordan Ferreira
Instagram: La Casa Del Bailarín
Location : Latin America
The Dancer’s House
La Casa Del Bailarín
Dive into the world of “The Dancer’s House,” an evocative and captivating art project that brings to life the passion and grace of male dancers across Latin America. In this exclusive interview with photographer Jordan Ferreira, we delve into his creative process, the inspiration behind his artistic journey, and the memorable experiences he encountered while travelling. Join us as we unveil the beauty and raw emotions found within the vibrant and diverse dance communities of this mesmerizing region, all through the lens of a talented photographer.
Dive into the world of “The Dancer’s House,” an evocative and captivating art project that brings to life the passion and grace of male dancers across Latin America. In this exclusive interview with photographer Jordan Ferreira, we delve into his creative process, the inspiration behind his artistic journey, and the memorable experiences he encountered while traveling. Join us as we unveil the beauty and raw emotions found within the vibrant and diverse dance communities of this mesmerizing region, all through the lens of a talented photographer.
Q) One of your current projects is called “The Dancer’s House”, which is an art project that focuses on male dancers you are connecting with while traveling around Latin America. What would you say sparked the interest in you to start this upcoming project and what does dance mean to you?
A) Dancers have always fascinated me. Being mostly inflexible and lacking rhythm myself, I’ve always been impressed by what dancers can do with their bodies. While I was working on my other project, Chico Chico, I came across dancers who were also models. Shooting them was different and incredibly fun because they could do so many unique things with their bodies. It’s also a collaboration between two art forms, dance and photography, which pushes me creatively. After shooting a few dancers I was hooked and decided I wanted to do a project focused on their talents, particularly ballet dancers.
Q) Your work is incredibly emotionally evocative. Examining your photography, it’s clear that the models share a deep sense of comfort and connection with you, demonstrating a strong level of trust. This trust is what allows your work to reveal the tender, intimate aspects of men that many struggle to capture. What do you think it is about your approach or offerings that helps establish such trust with your models?
A) Thank you! The most important thing for me is to start off making the model feel comfortable. Get to know them, tell them about yourself, laugh with them, treat them with kindness, and talk about your ideas and what you’re trying to capture. I’ve noticed that the best way to get a model comfortable is to get them excited about your vision, that shifts the focus from you or them personally and towards a common goal. Showing them pictures of themselves that they like gets them even more comfortable and energized and everything flows from there. My favorite moment is always when a model looks at a photo you just took and you see their face light up with excitement, once that moment happens, you know it’s going to be a great shoot.
Q) It’s truly inspiring to witness individuals pursuing their dreams and passions, putting in the effort, and transforming them into tangible creations for the world to enjoy. What is it about photography that resonates with you so deeply, leading you to build a life centered around your passion?
A) Photography is actually a hobby for me, but a really big hobby. I started it because I loved traveling and loved art and wanted to be more than just a tourist in the cities I visited. Photography has granted me the opportunity to meet and get to know people that I would have never met as a tourist. And culture fascinates me, so being able to step into the world of models, influencers, and dancers in different countries is so interesting. The more I do it, the more nuances I find that are different between the US and those countries, as well as across those countries. And getting to know the subjects allows me to capture who they are when they’re relaxed and just being themselves. That’s the best part because they’re so focused on how they want the world to see them, I get to show how I see them and they’re often pleasantly surprised.
Q) As humans, we draw inspiration from a myriad of sources, both consciously and unconsciously, some of which may not have an apparent connection to an observer of an artist’s life.
Who or what would you identify as a significant inspiration that has consistently driven you to strive for the life you have crafted for yourself today?
A) One of my top inspirations is Anthony Bourdain. Watching how he used to go to a country and connect with the local culture through food, that’s what I try to do with my photography. I let the local guys inspire me. And their personality and mood has a huge impact on the session. And since I’ve started “The Dancer’s House” I am more and more inspired by the abilities of the human body. Now I am looking for interesting shapes and forms in the physical world that I can match with a dancer’s movements and it’s really fun.
Q) When it comes to your photography and the way you do things, what’s the most important part for you that helps you capture those emotions, vibes, and feelings that people love about your work?
A) My favorite emotion is authentic happiness. During the shoot I do my best to make the model happy, ensuring they are having fun, feeling playful and free. I can’t tell you how many times a model has told me “I don’t like my smile,” but then I capture them genuinely laughing or smiling and they are shocked at how great their smile looks. I always tell them, “you may not like your fake smile in the mirror, but your genuine smile is beautiful,” because it almost always is. I think that sets me apart from a lot of photographers that are more focused on the fashion industry because happiness and playfulness isn’t common in that world. But these are young people, they just want to have fun and I want to capture that youthful energy.
Q) The internet is going through a peculiar phase of censorship, with numerous platforms seemingly zeroing in on accounts that display the male figure. How has internet censorship impacted the way you share your art with the world, and on which platforms have you encountered the most challenges?
A) Oh man. Instagram is nuts. I have had the same post taken down, put back up, then taken down again. It is honestly demotivating because there’s nothing inappropriate about the photo, and there are female photos that are ten times more sexualized that stay up without a problem. And shadow-banning is a real and very frustrating thing because the people who follow you and actually want to see your work don’t end up seeing it. I wish that they would just allow the people that don’t want to see these kinds of images to identify themselves and then just ensure the algorithm doesn’t show them these kinds of images. That approach would probably be a lot easier than trying to teach the algorithm to detect photos that Instagram doesn’t like. Problems with their censorship actually motivated me to work more on my new dancer project because it is less provocative. That sucks, though, that a platform’s inconsistent rules and algorithms are influencing what kind of art I make.
Q) You’ve been away from your San Diego home for a while, journeying through Europe and Latin America. What’s the most significant lesson you’ve learned during your travels so far? And, are you starting to feel a bit homesick at this point?
A) I am lucky enough to travel back and forth, so no home sickness yet! But one of the biggest things I’ve learned from this project is how easy and fun it is to travel alone. Before I started my photography I would never have even considered traveling alone. Now it’s almost all I do. It’s so much easier, so many more interesting things happen, and you are forced to really connect with locals. I am so thankful for all the friends around the world that I have made because of my photography.
Q) What do you wish for your audience to gain from their experience with your upcoming project?
A) I hope that they form a deeper appreciation for the talent and skill that dancers have. When you go to a ballet, you spend a few hours in awe of what they can do, not realizing that they have sacrificed their life, often spending over a decade perfecting the lines, jumps, and movements you see. Then they have to prove they are good enough against thousands of others that also want to be ballet dancers. It is grueling work, both physically and psychologically. I hope my photography helps people see just how talented they are, and hopefully motivates more of them to support dance in their local community by attending performances. Ballets in every community need our support to survive.
Q) For those eager to attend your exhibition in person, could you share some more information with our readers? (Location, Date, Time, Tickets)
A) The exhibition will be in Mexico City this coming April or May. The final date has not been set yet, but as soon as it is I will share it across all my channels. And if you’re in Mexico City, I hope that you will come and find something you like that you can take home. If all goes well, I hope to do more exhibitions in other cities as well.
