Presenting a duet with dancers and photos

In one corner, Alexandre Proia curls and tenses, a spotted faun in an orange loincloth. In another, the Ballet Boyz muscle through a duet while Karole Armitage strikes a pose in sequins and fur.

The life-sized photographs are part of “Dance Cards,” a new exhibit at the Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater featuring dance luminaries in moments of theatricality and chance, as captured by such photographers as Christian Witkin and Martin Schoeller.

Unlike most dance photography, these pictures do not attempt to document preexisting choreography; they exist for their own sake, the best serving as portals into mysterious worlds of movement.

The exhibit, which opened Monday and ends June 8, coincides with the publication of Phaidon Press’ “Dance 2wice,” a collection of photographs spanning seven years of 2wice magazine, created by Editor in Chief Patsy Tarr and editor-designer J. Abbott Miller.

The award-winning arts journal, published twice a year, integrates dance with various artistic disciplines around a theme. The current issue features an Andrew Solomon essay, “Dandyism,” and photographs of Noemie Lafrance’s wildly popular clock tower dance, “Descent.”

“We wanted to have a publication that dealt with all the different corners of dance, since the ones that exist -- and there aren’t very many -- largely cover ballet,” Tarr said at the launch party. “We also wanted to show dance along with other things. Our culture totally marginalizes and isolates dance, so we wanted to show people that dance is part of our life.”

The opening also celebrated a deck of playing cards featuring 2wice photography, which Tarr created from her memories of the dance cards Capezio used to give to dancers when they bought their shoes.

“Capezio gave us the photographs as an educational tool, I think, to inspire aspiring dancers,” Tarr said, adding that she collected the dance cards for years but has since lost them.

Her new set should offset the loss. The oversized cards run the gamut from ethereal to silly. Choreographer Mark Morris, the five of hearts, stands haughty and rumpled, cradling a split watermelon while his other hand grasps a knife. Visual artist and choreographer John Kelly, known for his chameleon dance-theater roles, is a wild card.

In keeping with the theme, the photographs on display at Lincoln Center are designed like giant playing cards.

“We like to think of our photographers as ‘embedded’ with the dancers,” Miller said with a laugh.