Customer Reviews

Men in Motion: The Art and Passion of the Male Dancer

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François Rousseau has created a large following, from those who own his books to those celebrities he has photographed to the aficionados of sport and of fashion. This major scale book is devoted not to the game athletes as was his other popular volume but to dance athletes and as such it is one of the more informed and sophisticated books of the many possibilities of muscular function published. MEN IN MOTION: THE ART AND PASSION OF THE MALE DANCER is an appropriate title as Rousseau is as fascinated with capturing the state of art to which these many dancers have achieved as he is to focusing on the uncanny feats displayed by the human body in response to choreography and music.

As Rousseau states in his introduction, 'The mission of a dancer is not to exhibit his body as an object, but rather to use his body to interpret and express art; to use the body he has, in the space he has, to put forth the felling and the meaning within his dance.' What Rousseau offers in this beautifully designed and produced volume by Universe are pages of photographs of individual dancers - some at rest but most in motion - executing powerful leaps and lifts as well as photographs of groups of dancers in concert and at rest. Almost all are in dance costume; nudity is present but is clearly not the focus of this book. Rousseau elects to combine black and white with color and sepia toned images to provide stunning contrasts. One double page spread is of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with some 26 male dancers in motion under the lead of premier dancer William Credell and is a dramatic, physically challenging study of men in motion.

This elegant book is a must for lovers of dance, whether classical ballet or contemporary interpretation, but it is also a study in anatomy for the students of sculpture, so finely captured is the power and tension of the male body in motion. This is an Art Book of the first order. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 09

Capturing bodies in motion is not that difficult. Capturing bodies in motion at a critical moment of extension or interpersonal tension is extremely difficult and Rousseau has succeeded in making visual magic with much of this book. I can remember the frustration of watching a ballet live and wanting to freeze (in real time) the moment that made me gasp. Of course, I couldn't. I could only hope that it might be repeated in an encore. And dance videos, even of Baryshnikov or NDT1 or Ailey or DV8 never really allowed me the luxury of a frozen moment either. If I hit pause, I'd wind up with a somewhat blurry representation of the moment (and often, just prior to the greatness or just post). So, Rousseau's keen eye and successful efforts are much appreciated. The moments captured for his photo essay are often encore-worthy (Yosef's darting diagonal; Bond's profile-driven statement of elegance and strength; Chaillet's leap that is so magnificently lit by Rousseau that you imagine it would take hundreds of retakes to capture it again; Cava's architectural pose that grinds anatomy against gravity; others). Yes, there are some posed shots (breathers?) that look mundane compared to the best of the action shots, but all in all, this is a book to savor.

This beautifully photographed collection of male portraits is an excellent study in just how demanding and physical the art of dance is. Francois Rousseau has captured some extraordinary images of solo and group performers that are a joy to admire. As a gift or for a personal collction, this incredible selection of photographs will give much pleasure to any fan of the male body and the art of dance.

This large format book is a thing of beauty. Superb photography of the male dancer in motion is divided into photo shoots of various dance companies and the results are outstanding. The first company is the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and the men in the company are highly diverse. Broadway dancers are included as well as acrobats and other contemporary dancers. The two Opera de Paris dancers are captured in classical ballet positions. The men of the Alvin Alley American Dance Theater abound in masculinity and muscularity, and photographs of their students capture young men at the height of beauty. Twin dancers at La Compagnie Theatre d'Art provide interesting mirror like images while dancing. There are over 150 photographs, all technically perfect. The book is highly recommended.

Im so glad I bought this book.

Some photos are wonderful, only two or three are not good according to my point of view but overall the complete book is excellent.

The quality and presentation are superb.

claudio