Dancer in the wings.

After retirement, most dancers take time to relax. Not Rosalie O'Connor. The dancer/ photographer left American Ballet Theatre in July 2002 after fifteen years in the corps de ballet. In August, she celebrated her marriage to Uli Bader, artistic administrator of the National Symphony Orchestra, with a picture-perfect wedding. The next month she was in Beijing, China, photographing a group of current and former New York City Ballet dancers on tour and flying back to Manhattan just in time to photograph a dress rehearsal for former ABT colleague Jamie Bishton and his dance company. * O'Connor's photographs have been used for Movado advertisements and for some of ABT's banner ads and posters. They have accompanied reviews and articles in Dance Magazine, The New York Times, Vogue, Stagebill, and others. Last April, O'Connor's first photo exhibition was held at the Halsted Gallery in Detroit. And on February 13, 2003, she will give a lecture titled "Image of a Dancer" at the Kennedy Center. * During her dance career, O'Connor appeared in numerous works by diverse choreographers. And she shone in character-driven roles like Bathilde in Giselle and the Ranch Owner's Daughter in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo. "Dancing is a huge part of my life," she says, "and I am lucky that I get to continue to be a part of it through the lens of my camera." * To view O'Connor's photos, visit www.rosalieoconnor.com.