Haglund's Sunday morning sleuthing for info on Sarah Jessica Parker's new TV program about NYCB turned up an unexpected but happy surprise: a July 2012 copyright registration by the awesome photographer Henry Leutwyler for visual material entitled "Backstage at New York City Ballet" which contains 584 photographs.
That's a lot of photographs! Haglund finds it difficult enough to keep his cool when the annual NYCB brochure comes out with Mr. Leutwyler's delicious images. A book of 584 photographs could send him right over the edge. Also in July, Mr. Leutwyler posted a picture on his website of a UPS package with this tiny note under it: "Ballet book in progress" - a confirming sign if ever there was one.
The big, big, really BIG question is, "How much will it cost?"
Update: PRE-ORDER HERE for $55.10. A quick check of Amazon shows that Mr. Leutwyler has a book due to be released on Oct 15 which right now is titled "Ballet" and includes the follow description:
After four years of collaboration with Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet, Henry Leutwyler was granted unprecedented backstage access to the Company during the winter of 2012. The resulting book, Ballet, reflects thirty years of his passion for the art form, realised in thirty days of photography. Leutwyler inhabited the shadows of the stage and became "invisible", recording images of the dancers using nothing more than his 35mm Leica. He was able to explore the performers' personal space, affording a more abstract portrait - a visual slice of their frenzied existence in an art form predicated on perfection. Ballet is an homage to the gritty universe from behind the curtain, and a complement to its ethereal beauty as viewed from the front row. With impresario Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine co-created the New York City Ballet in 1948. What followed is arguably one the most revolutionary periods in ballet history as he redefined the art form, introducing abstract works performed with a signature speed, musicality, and precision. Under the leadership of Peter Martins, these are the hallmarks of the Company to this day.
Do we know the pub date? The publisher?
Posted by: Angelica Smith | August 12, 2012 at 01:53 PM
Hi Angelica. I found no info other than the copyright application and what's on Mr. L's website. Also on his website are performance images of NYCB in Serenade and Firebird under which there is a thank you note to NYCB for allowing him to photograph the company backstage.
In checking Amazon and "Henry Leutwyler" in the search box, there is a book "Ballet" scheduled to be released October 2012 for $55.10, discounted from the list price of $88. That may be it.
Posted by: Haglund | August 12, 2012 at 02:51 PM
Yep, that's it. I just pre-ordered mine!
Posted by: Haglund | August 12, 2012 at 03:01 PM
Haglund, you are amazing! I'm going to pre-order mine also (there goes the ABT Fall season ticket).
Posted by: Angelica Smith | August 12, 2012 at 08:46 PM
Wow!
Posted by: robin | August 12, 2012 at 09:59 PM
I found the book in the publisher's fall/winter catalog – a PDF doc that was created on May 31st, before Mr. Leutwyler filed the copyright registration in July. In the publisher's catalog, the book is titled Ballet; in the copyright filing, the book is titled Backstage at New York City Ballet. Seeing as the Amazon site does not include the jacket cover that is in the publisher's catalog, it seems possible that changes have been made since the catalog was created. We'll just have to wait and see.
Posted by: Haglund | August 13, 2012 at 08:50 AM