Todd Bolender

Carl Van Vechten was a man of varied talents.  A long-time music and modern dance critic for The New York Times, he wrote seven novels between 1922 and 1930 and was a supporter of the African-American artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Van Vechten took up the camera seriously in 1932, when he discovered the new 35mm Leica. In the years that followed, Van Vechten worked as a dedicated amateur, avidly photographing his large circle of friends and acquaintances, including many modern dancers.
Todd Bolender was a renowned ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer and director. Studying under George Balanchine, he was an instrumental figure in the creation and dissemination of classical dance and ballet as an American art form. Bolender led the Kansas City Ballet from 1980 to 1995.