Book description
Alexander Barabanov, a key figure in the Russian dance world, has
sifted through many thousands of photographs of dance to accumulate an
extraordinary collection of pictures, ranging from historical ballet
photographs to shocking avant-garde imagery.
This work has been collected and edited to form an astonishing
sequence. Rather than being assembled as an anthology, the sequence
has in fact been 'choreographed' so the book is constructed to form a
dance in ten movements. It begins with creation myths, follows erotic
engagements and leads to a series of mass movements in the modern age.
It includes such gems as the young Nureyev's first performance with
the Kirov and Baryshinikov's debut as well as images with brutal
reference to Abu Ghraib or the march of fascism.
Alexander Barabanov is a leading authority on dance who lives in
Moscow and London. He opened a gallery for new Russian art in London and
is currently an adviser on the Diaghilev centenary events in Moscow.
