During a period of thirteen months from August 1986 to September 1987, John Fraser was given unlimited access to ABT and this is a fascinating and candid look into the world of an international ballet company.
John Fraser's first encounter with Mikhail Baryshnikov was during a Canadian tour in 1974, he played a small part in enabling Baryshnikov's defection and conducted the first interview with him following that event, a friendship was born.
Baryshnikov joined American Ballet Theatre in 1974 and later danced with the New York City Ballet under George Balanchine from 1978-79. In 1980 he returned to the ABT and served as the company’s Artistic Director until 1989.
In Fraser's own words "My presence coincided with one of the most dramatic and emotionally charged years in the company's history", the filming of 'Dancers' in Bari, the publication of Gelsey Kirkland's autobiography and problems of substance abuse within the company that had fatal consequences, to name but a few.
Lavishly illustrated with Eve Arnold's photographs, this is a perfectly captured piece of ballet history.
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