My aunt is looking for a coffee table book of photographs she heard
about recently.  It is about a female dancer that is overweight.  She
dances professionally, but is said to be extremely good.  The
photographer devoted an entire book to her.  What is the name of the
dancer, photographer, and book?

Hello.

The book that you're looking for is probably:
"Dancer" by Irving Penn.
Hardcover, 11 1/4 x 12, 72 pages, 27 tritone plates.
ISBN 1-59005-021-5 (Item #021-5) $50.00
January 2002

Nazraeli Press describes the book as "a remarkable set of portraits of
a voluptuous dancer named Alexandra Beller."
http://www.nazraeli.com/nazraeli/newtitle/021-5.html

Ordering information for Nazraeli is at:
http://www.nazraeli.com/nazraeli/frameset.html

Or try listings on Bookfinder.com:
http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?author=irving+penn&title=dancer&submit=Begin+Search&new_used=*&currency=USD&mode=basic&st=sr&ac=qr

For more information about Ms. Beller, take a look at her web page at:
http://www.cinegrafx.com/alexbeller/

Also see the article "Modern Dancer Finds Her Space In A Narrow World"
by Marina Wolf in Radiance Magazine
http://www.radiancemagazine.com/win2000_beller.htm

The New York Times had an article in April 2002 about Ms. Beller. View
it at the NY Times' web site (registration required):
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/28/magazine/_28BELLER.html

search strategy: voluptuous dancer

I hope this helps.

Excellent answer.  This was the exact book I was looking for.  I am
impressed by the search strategy.  I tried just about every adjective
except "voluptuous".

Just a little FYI...

Penn's "Dancer" is a series of remarkable images. These are dynamic,
explicit nude photos of an amply-proportioned woman. I don't know
about juggler-ga's aunt, but I suspect that my own aunts would
collapse with a case of the vapors if they saw this book. While it is
definitely not porn, neither is it tame.

Oops, please correct my above comment to "I don't know about
goffperu-ga's aunt, but I suspect..."

It is so easy to get confused when everyone's surname is "ga." ;-)

Well, my aunt is an artist, and plans to use the book to do anatomical
studies.  I expect there will be no vapors in her case.  I remember
her telling me while bathing me as a child, "If I see anything I have
never seen before, I will kill it."