In his introduction to this collection of photographs Alexander Barabanov, after stating that dance must be one of the earliest forms of creative human expression, makes a strong case for the importance of dance photography.

Dance photography provides a further level of art, which is perfectly attached to the original creation, yet exists independently within its own medium. As it guides the eye, the photography focuses the viewer’s attention on particular concepts. Photographs reveal those powerful moments, which remain fixed like passages of prose or of music, that can be recalled long after the novel is closed or a symphony completed.

“…..At its best, dance photography enables us to hold on to the emotion and preserve a sense of the energy of the performance. A transmutation of reality can occur.”

“… What sets this book apart is the attempt to create something which isn’t just another anthology of dance imagery but a cohesive work were the images have been ‘choreographed’ in order to express something about the very capture of movement. There are ten sections in total and we begin by meeting the men. From the amazing versatility of Baryshnikov (who features in two pictures from the same ballet – The Creation of the World – one which shows his impish acting ability, the other an extraordinary leap that no dancer in the same role was ever able to repeat) and the raw power of Nijinsky, there are also images from the Breakin’ Convention just a few years ago at Sadlers Wells. The variety continues to dazzle in the next section focusing on women, from the exotic studio print of Mata Hari to the erotic derriere captured by Phile Deprez. 

“… and woman come together in the third section in an exploration of creation myths. There is something Edenic about these pas de deux as opposed to the erotic charge that comes in later sections. ‘Eroticism is one of the primary instincts of dance’ and there are plenty of images that capture that instinct. One image is not published but described in a fabulous anecdote of one session between Richard Avedon and Rudolph Nuryev; where the dancer slowly raised his arms above his head, his penis rising at the same rate as his hands. What we can see from one of their sessions is a photo that shows that the body itself, especially when pictured in close-up, becomes something far more mechanical, we can see the muscles, sinew and dried skin on Avedon’s portrait of Nuryev’s foot and other pictures in that section are testament to the extraordinary architecture that lies behind the expression of dance…”