Paul B. Goode American Ballet Theatre photographs

1980-1990

Paul B. Goode is a photographer based in New York City. Much of Goode's photography has been documenting dance and making intimate portraits of dancers in motion. In 1980, Goode was contacted by the assistant development director at the American Ballet Theater, Alan Olshan, to take the official director's portrait of Mikhail Baryshnikov. This led to Goode photographing the American Ballet Theatre for almost ten years, the entire tenure of Baryshnikov's role as the artistic director. Goode was granted access to rehearsals, performances, backstage, and eventually toured with the company. Goode continues to photograph dance and has worked with Bill T. Jones, the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet, Trisha Brown, and more. Goode's work also explores portraits of bodybuilders, pregnant women, Coney Island cigarette butts, and more.

The American Ballet Theatre is a New York City based dance company founded in 1939 dedicated to preserving the legacy of classical dance and creating new performances for audiences worldwide.

This collection covers dance performances and rehearsals from the 1980s to 1990, during which time Mikhail Baryshnikov was the Artistic Director. The performances documented include Swan Lake, several dances with choreography by Agnes De Mille, Antony Tudor's ballets, a restaging of Gaité Parisienne, and performances by Twyla Tharp.