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THE MAKING OF A DANCE: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Carla Fracci in Medea by Thomas--Ed. & & Photog Victor

THE MAKING OF A DANCE: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Carla Fracci in Medea

By

Pub Date: Oct. 14th, 1976
Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Any balletomane can buy a ticket and attend a ballet performance, but only a chosen few ever get to see their idols sweating away in an empty rehearsal studio with their legwarmers falling down. Therein lies the appeal of this collection of highly informal, behind-the-scenes photographs, in which we witness the creation of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Carla Fracci of John Butler's Medea, which had its premiere at the 1975 Spoleto festival. Baryshnikov fans especially will delight in the antics of their hero as he pouts, preens, and clowns, as well as performs the spectacular gravity-defying feats of virtuosity that make audiences gasp. Clive Barnes' introduction is largely irrelevant, and accompanying comments by the dancers and the choreographer are mostly incomprehensible, but the pictures themselves are beautifully articulate and are worth many thousands of words.