Mikhail Baryshnikov persuaded her to return to choreography after two decades in film and she put him in a dress (well, half dress, half pantsuit) to perform one of her signature solos. Rehearsal video of Baryshnikov performing that solo is part of “Yvonne Rainer: Dances and Films,” a major exhibition of her half-century in dance, choreography and film, now at the Getty Center. In the 1960s, Rainer was among the dancers and choreographers identified with New York's Judson Dance Theater, which brought American modern dance into a postmodern era. One exhibit hall displays notebooks, journals and a loop of video clips of rehearsals and performances exploring how Rainer's choreographic dance ideas paralleled New York's visual art scene's efforts to eliminate ornamentation, theatricality and emotionalism. By the late '70s, Rainer had moved completely into filmmaking, abandoning choreography for two decades. A second exhibit hall is devoted to screening her films (schedule at getty.edu). But in 2000, Baryshnikov enticed Rainer to restage that solo, rekindling her choreographic spark. More recent films reflect a new blending of dance and film, but dance fans will find special delight in the earlier performance photos capturing Trisha Brown, Douglas Dunn, David Gordon, Valda Setterfield and Ranier when they were not yet fully aware how they would change American dance. Getty Research Institute, Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwd.; Tue.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; runs through Oct. 12; free, parking $15. (310) 440-7300, getty.edu.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: May 27. Continues through Oct. 12, 2014
(Expired: 10/12/14)

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