MATTHEW MURPHY American Ballet Theatre New York, NY USA BIO | POSTS

Of the things in my life that I am thankful for, my family outranks all else. From the time I was a child they have acted as a constant source of support for my artistic endeavors, but also a huge source of inspiration because of the work that they all create. There is a thoughtfulness to each of their contributions to their respective fields (Mom-tap dance; Sister-modern and tap dance; Dad-filmmaking/directing/acting) that pushes me to expand beyond my comfort zone and not be afraid of a challenge.

There can be a downside to being part of a family full of artists. But for every instance I become exasperated dissecting the relevance of a certain shot in a movie, there is another moment where I find the winding road our conversations take to be thrilling; and at all times I realize how fortunate I am to have them, and acknowledge the fact that I wouldn’t be where I am today were it not for their own artistic curiosity. Plus there’s the bonus of covering a variety of artistic fields over the course of our four-person unit; always an interesting viewpoint on each others’ work.

My dad and I had a chance to combine projects last week when I went to visit him at work. But this wasn’t another day at the office — unless you consider a huge open field down the Bitterroot valley (Montana) an office. By the time I arrived the sun was high and the summer heat was setting in, but that didn’t stop him, my friends Anya and Jes, and a small crew from beginning work on a new experimental dance film.

The morning light proved difficult to photograph in, but with such lovely subjects as my friends and the scenery, it was hard to get a bad shot.