In 1983, Betti Franceschi, a painter and sculptor, was in Paris to see her daughter perform with the New York City Ballet. While at a celebration, she was struck by the beauty of the retired ballet dancers in attendance. Thirty years later that memory, and a continuing fascination with dancers, set her on a path that led to “Ageless Dancers,” a new book of photographs that showcase the expressive lines of former professional dancers ages 70 and up.
Ms. Franceschi will be at LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton on Saturday at 3 p.m. for a conversation and book signing. Joining her, among the dancers pictured in the book, are Ze’eva Cohen, founder of Dance Theatre Workshop; Molissa Fenley of Molissa Fenley & Company; Martine van Hamel, former prima ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and Mercedes Ellington, a dancer and choreographer. Diana Byer, founder of New York Theatre Ballet, will moderate the discussion.
“Ageless Dancers” is published by Brilliant Editions with an introduction by George Negroponte, an East Hampton artist and curator. Among the artists featured in its 70 photographs, from the disciplines of ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, and musical theater, are Carmen de Lavallade, Janet Eilber, Suki Schorer, Martine van Hamel, and Edward Villella, as well as the late Jacques d’Amboise, Jennifer Muller, and Gus Solomons Jr.
Ms. Franceschi’s previous book, “The Still Point” (1987), featured a series of pencil drawings of professional dancers, with a focus on the center of the body. Her “Still Point” drawings were exhibited at Sadler’s Wells in London, the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the Philharmonic Center in Naples, Fla., among other venues.
Tickets are $35, $25 for members. Copies of “Ageless Dancers” will be available for purchase.
