"Come to Atlanta! You have to bring Dancers Among Us to Atlanta!!"
I've received this request many times on my Facebook wall, always with great enthusiasm. "Dance Capital of the South" was even bandied about. So I booked my airline tickets, got my hotel room, announced October 25-28 as my travel dates, and waited for the outpouring of excitement.
Cricket... Cricket...
Nothing. Nada. Zero. A goose egg.
Everywhere I've gone I've been greeted with an excess of talented, passionate dancers volunteering their time and energy. Atlanta has greeted me with... silence.
Please don't make me beg.
Atlanta dancers, you have so much to offer. The city is ripe with photographic possibilities.
photos via Google Images
If we decide to hop in a car and drive outside of Atlanta, we'll find small towns...
Scenic roads...
Beautiful bridges...
And classic southern estates...
Still not interested? Did I mention the impending nationwide book release through Workman Publishing?
Imagine yourself on a tepid first date, strolling into Barnes and Noble for a coffee before the movie. You see Dancers Among Us on the BEST SELLERS table. You casually mention, "Oh, I'm in that book." Your date leafs through the pages (much too quickly for my liking), sees your amazing photo and falls hard for you. The birds start chirping in the background, a marriage proposal is offered and accepted, children soon arrive, then grandchildren.
Crazier things have happened.
Plus, it's a really fun experience. If I can have a great time in snowy Harlem with Alvin Ailey dancer Michael McBride, imagine how exciting the process will be during a beautiful Georgia fall.
Next Tuesday, I will be carrying my camera and walking around Atlanta. Hopefully there will be dancers with me. If not, I will be that crazy man on the corner, babbling to myself about the good old days.
Please allow me my dignity. Email me at jordanmatter@gmail.com with any potential leads.
