附文 – 个人舞蹈史 | A Personal History of Dancing

当我收到制作我的舞蹈照片版本的邀请时，我很激动地期待着能够梳理我的档案，找到过去38年中熟悉的和新发现的照片。我很惊讶我在这么多不同的国家拍了多少次舞蹈。这是我一直被吸引的话题。

我们都知道这种感觉：一些熟悉的音乐，可能是几杯酒，以及那种不可抗拒的跳舞冲动。它从不失败。这就像黑夜紧随白昼一样可以预测。在一个俱乐部里，在一个日渐衰落的海滨度假胜地的露台上，无论老少，这一简单而美妙的社会现象都是我们在这几页中庆祝的。

让我给你讲几个这样的场合。德拉瓦尔馆可能是我在英国最喜欢的建筑。在海边的贝克斯希尔，这是一个华丽的装饰艺术堆，散发着大气和品位。我注意到，在夏季的星期四，他们和一个小管弦乐队举行了一场户外舞蹈，我尽职尽责地回来，拍了86页上的照片。它抓住了衰落的大英帝国。在英国海边，英国与传统的摩擦方式对我来说是一种永恒的乐趣，也是一个永无止境的主题。在过去的一年里，我在最近的旅行中寻找舞蹈来赞美这对如对开本般展开的二者。

1970年至1973年，我在曼彻斯特波伊特技术学院（Manchester Poytechnic）学习摄影时，有时会去布莱克浦（Blackpool）为参加各种交际舞比赛的选手拍照。去年，我决定再次回到著名的塔楼舞厅拍摄。我参加了世界交谊舞比赛，我以前拍摄的那些仪式仍然存在。例如，舞衣的不断更换和等待潜在淘汰消息的紧张情绪。

南美洲是一个舞蹈几乎是遗传条件的大陆。我确信婴儿出生时几乎会在子宫外跳舞，而且老年人似乎舞跳的比走路更好。我记得几年前在墨西哥城的一个广场上看到丹森，最近又回来拍了这张照片。想象一下这个场景。现在是上午10点，唱片已经开始播放，情侣们似乎到处跳舞。当乐队中午开始演奏时，广场上已经挤满了舞者。你看的每对情侣都很漂亮。课程正在进行，节奏较慢的小补丁，闪亮的鞋子正在被检查和购买。这是跳舞天堂。你可以去墨西哥城独自一人欣赏这美妙的户外景色。我参加了圣保罗的一个Forro俱乐部，以前从未见过这种类型的舞蹈，我立刻被这种有感染力的舞蹈和音乐吸引住了。这次我一边跳舞一边拍照。

摄影也许是人类最民主的表达方式，仅次于舞蹈。几乎每个人都有一台相机，即使是一部照相手机，人们也会记录他们的家人和朋友。但世界上的舞者可能比摄影师多。无论你的财富、阶级或年龄如何，以各种形式跳舞都是一种世界性的现象。如果你还能站起来，这种冲动永远不会消失。我很高兴将这两种珍贵的艺术形式结合在一篇摄影文章中。

When the invitation arrived to create an edition of my dancing photographs, I was excited at the prospect of combing my archive to find both familiar and newly discovered images from the last 38 years. I was surprised by how many times I have photographed dancing, and in so many different countries. It is a subject I have always been drawn to.

We all know the feeling: some familiar music, possibly a few drinks, and that irresistible urge to dance kicks in. It never fails. It is as predictable as night follows day. In a club, outside on terrace at a fading seaside resort, young or old, this simple and wonderful social phenomenon is what we celebrate in these pages.

Let me talk you through a few of these occasions. The De La Warr pavilion is perhaps my favorite building in Britain. A glorious Art Deco pile in Bexhill on Sea, it exudes atmosphere and class. I noted that on Thursdays in the summer months they held an outside dance with a small orchestra and I dutifully returned and took the photographs on page 86. It captures the fading British Empire. The way Britain frays at the edges with such traditions at the British seaside is a constant delight for me, and a never-ending subject matter. Over the past year, I have sought out dances on my recent travels to compliment this folio.

When I was a student at Manchester Poytechnic, studying photography from 1970 to 1973, I sometimes went to Blackpool to photograph competitors in various ballroom dancing competitions. I decided to return and shoot again at the famous Tower Ballroom last year. I was at the World Ballroom dancing competition, and all those rituals that I photographed before were still there. For example, the constant changing in out of the dancing clothes and the tension awaiting news of potential elimination.

South America is a continent where dancing is almost a genetic condition. I am sure babies almost dance out of the womb when born, and it seems older people can dance better than they walk. I remembered seeing Danzon in a square in Mexico City a few years back and recently returned to photograph this. Imagine the scene. It is 10am and already records are being played and couples seem to be dancing everywhere. By the time the band starts up at noon the square is crawling with dancers. Every couple you glance look wonderful. There are lessons going on, small patches with a slower tempo, shiny shoes are being inspected and bought. It is dancing heaven. You could justify a trip to Mexico City just to witness this wonderful outdoor scene alone. I attended a Forro club in São Paulo and-having never seen this genre before-am immediately taken with this infectious dancing and music. On this occasion I was photographing whilst dancing myself.

Photography is perhaps the most democratic form of human expression, second only to dance. Virtually everybody owns a camera, even if it is a camera phone, and people record their family and friends. But the world probably has more dancers than photographers. Dancing in its many guises is a worldwide phenomenon, no matter your wealth, class or age. If you can still physically get up onto the floor, that urge never dies. I am delighted to combine these two precious art forms in one photographic essay.

Martin Parr