Backstage Dance Critics Have Their Favorites, Too

Gia Kourlas, New York Times

Dance aficionados adore Mark Morris, but some of his biggest fans are the stagehands who work behind the scenes at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. When his name is mentioned in the presence of the opera house's stage crew, their gruff expressions relax in reverence.

"He certainly likes his beer," said Howard Larson, the master of properties. "I have to have the cold packs that the dancers use backstage, just to wrap around it."