In 1977 Patrick Bissel was a fastrising star with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. Critic Clive Barnes had nothing but praise for Bissell. In his column Barnes hailed "the emergence of a major new star." Bissel, however, never fulfilled that prophecy. He died earlier this year from an overdose of cocaine.

Bissel's story made the headlines because all who knew him recognized the tragedy of such vast potential wasted. At age 20 Patrick Bissell had been drafted from the ranks to perform roles normally reserved for principal artists. Mikhail Baryshinikov, artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre, believes Bissel was "one of the brightest lights...in the entire ballet world."

But the lights flickered out when his fiancee found him lying dead on a couch in his apartment. One ob…