Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Nina Fonaroff. April 27 and 28, 1976, 1976.

Author

Fonaroff, Nina

Publication

1976

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Kendall, Elizabeth, 1947-

Description

5 sound discs (approximately three hours and 31minutes) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (approximately 48 minutes), April 27, 1976. Nina Fonaroff speaks with Elizabeth Kendall about her family and her early dance training with Michel and Vera Fokine; her memories of theatrical productions and dancers she saw including Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham; her early years in Berlin, Switzerland, and New York City studying art; and design; studying dance and theater at the Cornish School [of Allied Arts]; her awe upon seeing Graham dance in Seattle; studying with Graham and becoming a member of her company; other members of the company including Anna Sokolow and Dorothy Bird; Louis Horst [ends abruptly but continues on disc 2].
• Disc 2 (approximately 47 minutes; final 2 minutes are blank.), April 26, 1976. Nina Fonaroff continues to speak with Elizabeth Kendall about Louis Horst including Lincoln Kirstein's comment on Horst's contribution to choreography; briefly, Erick Hawkins; studying ballet with Muriel Stuart including how this helped her dancing in Graham's company; more on Horst; Graham's work American document; more on Erick Hawkins; Graham's working methods; Fonaroff's relationship with Graham.
• Disc 3 (approximately 49 minutes), April 28, 1976. Nina Fonaroff speaks with Elizabeth Kendall about Martha Graham's dance Letter to the world; her working methods including her choices of music; her work Punch and the Judy; her work Deaths and entrances; Jane [Dudley] as the Ancestress in Letter to the world; her thoughts on reviving Graham's works; Graham's work Heretic; her work Hérodiade [ends abruptly but continues on disc 4].
• Disc 4 (approximately 49 minutes), April 28, 1976. Nina Fonaroff speaks with Elizabeth Kendall about the varied backgrounds of Martha Graham's dancers; Graham's work Appalachian spring including Merce Cunningham's performance; touring including reminiscences of Alicia Alonso in Cuba; more on Graham's working methods; her leaving the company and focusing on her own choreography and company; her life at that time; Sybil Shearer; John Martin including his feud with Louis Horst; (briefly) Doris Humphrey and José Limón; more on John Martin; her work Lazarus; her decision to stop dancing and focus on teaching and directing [ends abruptly].
• Disc 5 (approximately 18 minutes), April 28, 1976. Nina Fonaroff speaks with Elizabeth Kendall about studying ballet at the School of American Ballet; Graham technique; [Twyla] Tharp; teaching choreography including how she came to teach in London [at the London Contemporary Dance School].
• Former summary: Reel 1, side 1: Nina Fonaroff's early years in New York City, Vienna, and Berlin; introduction to Martha Graham's choreography; Anna Sokolow; Louis Horst; Erik Hawkins. Reel 1, side 2: Graham's method of choreographing; Letter to the world; Punch and the Judy; Appalachian spring; touring; John Martin. Reel 2, side 1: comments on Doris Humphrey and José Limón; additional comments about John Martin.

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subject

• Fonaroff, Nina
• Hawkins, Erick
• Martin, John , 1893-1985
• Humphrey, Doris, 1895-1958
• Horst, Louis
• Limón, José
• Graham, Martha
• Lazarus (Choreographic work : Fonaroff)

Note

• Interview with Nina Fonaroff conducted by Elizabeth Kendall on April 27 and 28, 1976 in New York City at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, as part of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division's Oral History Project.
• Title supplied by cataloger.
• Sound quality is fair. The recording is marred by extraneous noise including significant "tape hiss" and occasional short gaps. In addition, at times the speakers' voices are often soft. However, their voices are usually intelligible.

Funding (note)

• The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-397

OCLC

79781027

Author

Fonaroff, Nina, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Nina Fonaroff. April 27 and 28, 1976, 1976.

Production

1976

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by Elizabeth Kendall. Based on the handwritten notes on the original containers of the archival original sound reels held by the Library, the Library's archival original sound reels were copied from sound cassettes recorded by Kendall. 1976, April 27 and 28 New York (N.Y.)

Funding

The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.

Original Version

Original format: two sound reels (approximately three hours and 31 minutes); 5 inches; polyester, half-track; 1 7/8 ips.; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013. Based on the handwritten notes on the original containers of the archival original sound reels held by the Library and used for preservation of this recording in digital format, the Library's archival original sound reels were copied from sound cassettes.

Local Note

For transcript of interview: see *MGZMT 5-397

Former classmark: *MGZT 5-397

Connect to:

Request Access to Dance Division Audio and Moving Image material

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Fonaroff, N.

Added Author

Kendall, Elizabeth, 1947- interviewer.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-397