Mikhail Baryshnikov gives solo exhibition of his photography Friday in Miami

Don’t expect him to dance. Mikhail Baryshnikov will be giving a solo exhibition of his photography opening Friday at the Gary Nader Art Centre in Miami. In “Dance This Way,” Baryshnikov turns the camera on ethnic, hip-hop, ballet, modern and popular dances around the world. The show’s title, Baryshnikov told the AP, is meant to be both commanding and descriptive. He wants the dancers to move toward his camera, and he wants to show what he sees in their dances.

“I’m interested in focusing on body parts, the movements which really one cannot notice in the audience,” says Baryshnikov, 64. He knows what he’s looking for, after all, and he can get a backstage pass anywhere in the world.

The Latvian-born dancer who electrified ballet in the Soviet Union before defecting to dance with major ballet companies worldwide is now artistic director of the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York.

The Miami show includes a handful of images from Baryshnikov’s previous photography collections “Dominican Moves,” shot in cafes in the Dominican Republic, and “Merce My Way,” his collaboration with the challenging American choreographer Merce Cunningham, who died in 2009.

“Dance is one of the most revealing art forms,” he says. “I remember the great Martha Graham said, `A body cannot lie.“’ “When a body moves, it’s the most revealing thing,” he continues. “Dance for me a minute and I’ll tell you who you are.”

DANCE THIS WAY: Photographs by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Gary Nader Art Centre, 62 NE 27th Street, Miami; http://www.garynader.com/. Exhibit opens to the public Feb. 24. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

This story was originally published February 23, 2012 at 3:02 AM with the headline "Mikhail Baryshnikov gives solo exhibition of his photography Friday in Miami."