LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton’s 16-acre art sanctuary, will host a conversation, book signing, and exhibit of Ageless Dancers, artist Betti Franceschi’s volume of revelatory photographs (Overhead Press), Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 3:00-5:00 pm.
With Ageless Dancers, Franceschi goes behind the camera to showcase the expressive line of legendary former professional dancers ages 70 and up, displaying the technique that survives diminished athleticism. Franceschi will be joined by several of the dancers who appear in her book including Ze’eva Cohen (Founder, Dance Theatre Workshop), Molissa Fenley (Molissa Fenley & Company), and Mercedes Ellington (Broadway) for a discussion moderated by Diana Byer, (Founder, New York Theatre Ballet). Large custom silk prints from Ageless Dancers will be exhibited.
Ageless Dancers depicts 40 important dancers, ages 70 and up, from the disciplines of ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, and musical theater. Carmen de Lavallade, Janet Eilber, Suki Schorer, Martine van Hamel, and Edward Villella are among the dance artists featured, as well as the late Jacques d’Amboise, Jennifer Muller, Gus Solomons, Jr., and Sarah Stackhouse. With an introduction by painter, curator, and East Hampton resident George Negroponte, Ageless Dancers is comprised of 70 photographs, capturing the intelligence, artistry, and grace of each dancer. The volume, designed by Simon Rendall and Brilliant Graphics, is informed by Franceschi’s decades-long fascination with dancers. As a painter, sculptor, and lifelong wannabe dancer, Franceschi has long studied bodies that speak. Her previous book, The Still Point (1987), presented a series of pencil drawings of professional dancers, focusing on the center of the body. The Still Point received six nominations to The National Trust Show in London and Frankfurt.
Ageless Dancers is available through Brilliant Editions (brilliant-editions.com). Books will be available for sale at the LongHouse Reserve on August 24 and through the Brilliant website.
Admission to the event is $25/$35 (members/non-members). LongHouse Reserve is located at 133 Hands Creek Road in East Hampton, New York. For more information, please visit www.longhouse.org
