Imagine leaping through life like this

Imagine, for a second, living life with the immense strength, flexibility and precision of a professional dancer.

With the mere extension of a leg or flexing of a foot, your average daily tasks could become magnificent physical feats. Just think about it - while everyone else clumsily goes about their daily business, you could do your grocery shopping en pointe; gracefully alight from the train with a grand jeté onto the platform; or perform dizzying pirouettes in the street just because you could.

In a series of breathtaking images, photographer Jordan Matter has given the world a hint of what life as an off-duty ballerina might look like. Matter spent three years shooting dancers around the US, who volunteered their time as he arrived in each city.

He explains the inspiration behind the project and bestselling book, 'Dancers Among Us', on his website:

"Dancers are storytellers. They’re trained to capture passion with their bodies. The often create a fantasy world or offer us a deeper look into familiar settings. They bring to life what we feel but what most of us, lacking their artistry and athleticism, are unable to express physically."

Here are some of our favourite shots - but you can check out the full range here. We wonder if Mikhail Barishnikov or Anna Pavlova ever pulled out these moves in public?