Dance and theater critic Barnes dead at 81

Famed theater and dance critic Clive Barnes has died in New York of complications of cancer at the age of 81, his wife said.

The British-born Barnes, who worked for The New York Times from 1965 to 1977, had been writing reviews for the New York Post up until a few weeks before his death. He had worked for the Post for the past 30 years.

He was literate, knowledgeable and passionate, Lynn Garafola, a professor of dance at Barnard College, told the Times. When it came to a challenging work, he would review not just the first performance, but the second performance and third performance, and then write an analytic piece too. He also had a remarkable visual memory. He wasn’t just seeing the ballet in front of him. He had a bank of memories that went back half a century.

Barnes is survived by his fourth wife, Valerie Taylor Barnes, as well as his son, Christopher; daughter, Maya Johansen; and two grandchildren, the Times said.