Dancing with Dorian: in the new ballet Dorian, ABT's Marcelo Gomes stars as the evil spirit of that portrait in Dorian Gray's closet.

In the opening pages of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, the protagonist states flatly, "Youth is the only thing worth having. When I find that I am growing old, I shall kill myself." The tale of Dorian, who sells his soul to arrest his physical aging, has always held a queasy fascination for the gay community, and now three gifted gay talents are coming together to retell Dorian's story in dance.

On October 30, American Ballet Theatre presents the New York premiere of Dorian, a narrative ballet about the handsome hunk and his deteriorating portrait, by choreographer Robert Hill. "The ballet concentrates on Dorian's treatment of people and of himself, which causes action and reaction--and that translates into physicality," says the 42-year-old Hill, who retired last year as a principal dancer with ABT.

Zack Brown, who's known for his designs in opera and theater, has worked alongside Hill to create period costumes and decor complementing the emotionally restless music of Ernest Chausson.

At the core of the ballet is Dorian's struggle with his darkest secret, realized through mano a mano duets between two male dancers, one depicting the ageless Dorian and the other representing the shadowy figure who emerges from the picture to engage in murder and deceit.

In a departure from the noble parts he normally dances at ABT, Marcelo Gomes, who appeared on the cover of The Advocate earlier this year, will assume the role of Dorian's odious double. "It's fun to play a character who's sexy, powerful, and evil for a change," says Gomes. "He's the guy ahead of the game."

Carman also writes for The New York Times.