For obvious reasons, my favorite photographer is Howard Schatz. It seems like a slight to refer to him merely as a photographer. He has earned the title “artist.” Nobody freezes time like Howard Schatz—Especially when it comes to dance. I confess to whiling away many a lazy afternoon with café latte and a slice of cheesecake flipping through the pages of Passion & Line. For some reason I always get stuck on page 71: Yum! The gams on page 71 belong to Muriel Maffre, principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet. His web site is worth the visit: <A HREF="http://www.howardschatz.com" TARGET=_blank>www.howardschatz.com</A> <P><P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth

Michael---awesome pictures....he's so much more than a dance photographer!! You're right!! Thanks for introducing us to an important artist!!

Gulp!!

I don’t know the identity of all of the above beauties—just the middle one with the yellow veil. She is the lovely Shannon Lilly, then with San Francisco Ballet. That photo can be found in “Water Dance.” The bottom photo of the alabaster bathing beauty will glue your eyes to page 101 of Schatz’s “Pool Light.” He did not identify who was who in Pool Light. <P>For me the cherry on top of the sundae for his books is Passion & Line. Here you will be treated to Deborah Crocker (then with Martha Graham Dance Company), Deirdre Chapman (then with San Francisco Ballet), Katita Waldo (principal with San Francisco Ballet), Shannon Chain (then with American Ballet Theatre) and a veritable plethora of other dance goddesses in the buff! PS Grace: There are also photos of male dancers in the buff! If you want proof that God or some higher all-omnipotent being exists, all you have to do is flip through the pages of a Howard Schatz book of photography! <P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth

BTW Deirdre Chapman is now with Rambert Dance Company and I may see her dancing on Wednesday. Which are the ones of her from the book, Michael? <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 05, 2000).]

The lovely Deirdre Chapman graces pages 38, 55, 72 and 111 of Passion & Line. An absolute must for any ballet fan!<P>------------------<BR>Michael Goldbarth