Photographer Robert Whitmer shared his experience with the eminent dancer. The man remembered the circumstances under which they met and what he remembered most. According to Whitman, and Baryshnikov have always felt that it was required of him in the frame.
Ballet dancer, dancer with a world name – it made contact to you and to this man he’s just Misha. Last week, on October 12, Center of photography behalf of the Lumiere brothers, in Moscow, opened the exhibition Robert Whitman “Mikhail Baryshnikov. Metaphysics of the body”. The photographer said “StarHit” what it’s like to work with a dancer.
They met in the early ‘ 90s in new York. Whitman then arranged a blind date with the now ex-wife. She worked with Baryshnikov.
“I went over Shelley in a rehearsal hall in the city center, recalls Robert. – Misha was there, too, practiced motion, and she corrected it. I was introduced to Baryshnikov as photographer. It turned out that he perfectly appreciates and takes good shots. When I first came to his house, we spent three hours watching his photo.”
In 1995, Baryshnikov suggested to produce perfume Mikhail Baryshnikov Pour Femme, Whitman was asked to do a photo shoot for flavor. “This is my favorite series, continues the photographer. – Filmed in a mansion near new York. We went there a big company: I, Michael, his daughter Alexandra when she was 14 years old, Shelly, and agents and stylists. It was a hot day. While we worked, Sasha and Shelley were vacationing on the sun loungers. Mike wore an expensive tuxedo, he applied the makeup. Baryshnikov posed, fooling around. In my head flashed the idea: “what if he dives in the pool?” But was too shy to say anything… Misha if he could read my thoughts and after a minute jumped right in a tuxedo. Our ladies even whistled. We moved into the house for shooting at lunch. Baryshnikov in a white tuxedo sat at the table. “What a bore!” I thought. To liven up the picture, asked him to throw the napkin up. After he ate the Turkey. Removed the ads in one day. Mike is a busy man, and appreciate every second. Before the exhibition, he personally viewed the images and approved them all”.
