Clive Barnes

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Clive Barnes (born May 13, 1927) is an English writer, journalist, and critic.

Indisputably, the most powerful position Barnes has held in his career was at the New York Times, whose theater critic's reviews historically have had tremendous influence on the success or failure of a Broadway production. He has been the dance and drama critic with the New York Post since 1978, and is a regular contributor to Dance Magazine.

Barnes is the author of numerous books related to theater and the performing arts, particularly dance, including four volumes of 50 Best Plays of the American Theatre and nine series of Best American Plays (with John Gassner), American Ballet Theatre: A 25 Year Retrospective (with Elizabeth Kaye), Masters of Movement: Portraits of America's Great Choreographers (with Rose Eichenbaum), Ballet in Britain Since the War, Frederick Ashton and his Ballets, New York Times Directory of the Theater, Ballet Here and Now, Dance Scene USA, Inside American Ballet Theatre, and biographies of Tennessee Williams and Rudolf Nureyev.

Regarding television, Barnes said, "It is the first truly democratic culture, the first culture available to everyone and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want." (New York Times, December 30, 1969)