VITAL GRACE was published in 1999 by Edition Stemmle and distributed by Abbeville Press. My passion for staring led me to this project. I was casting for a book cover at the time, and attending a performance at BAM. I spotted a young man in the audience, and could not stop looking at him, I was sure he was perfect for the project I was working on. My husband begged me to stop staring and go speak to him, and that was the beginning of a creative collaboration with Duane Cyrus, that culminated in VITAL GRACE. The photographic essay looks at the black male dancer. A tribute to strength, courage, and discipline, we challenge stereotypes and explore the cultural challenges encountered in choosing movement as a profession. Interviews with Bill T. Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Gregory Hines, and others, accompany the images.