- Additional Authors
- Matheson, Katy
- Description
- Five streaming audio files (approximately three hours and 42 minutes): digital
- Summary
- Streaming audio file 1, March 5, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Jean Nuchtern with Katy Matheson speaks about her early ballet training and performing; college, graduate school, and her decision to become a dancer; studying at Martha Graham's school [Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance] on scholarship; her impressions of Martha Graham; reading literary sources in preparation for a role, including anecdotes about Paul Taylor and the role of Aegisthus in Clytemnestra and Noemi Lapezon in the role of Martyr [in Seraphic dialogue]; her experiences as a scholarship student; her first experience dancing in a Graham work, a revival of Primitive mysteries; the body type and technique of the veteran Graham dancers compared with hers; Graham's feelings about reconstructions [ends abruptly but continues on steaming audio file 2].
- Streaming audio file 2, March 5, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Jean Nuchtern speaks with Katy Matheson about Martha Graham and her behavior at rehearsals including of Graham's work Primitive mysteries; Sophie [Maslow]; working with Maslow compared with working with Bert [Bertram Ross]; her time as a member at the Martha Graham Dance Company including how her personal life affected her dancing; leaving her marriage and the company; working with Graham in Cortege of eagles; Graham's work Dancing ground including Robert Cohan's substantial contributions to the choreography; having to learn seven new dances immediately after entering the company; working with Ethel Winter; Graham's relationship with her dancers including Bertram Ross and Paul [Taylor]; [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 3].
- Streaming audio file 3, March 5, 1979 and April 23, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Jean Nuchtern speaks with Katy Matheson about Martha Graham and her relationship with her dancers including Bertram Ross; differences in her approach to roles for men and women; being asked to leave the company including her feelings about this [end of March 5, 1979 session and beginning of April 23, 1979 session]; Nuchtern speaks with Matheson about the period when she first joined the company; learning seven new works including Clytemnestra; touring in England and in Portugal [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 4].
- Streaming audio file 4, April 23, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Jean Nuchtern speaks with Katy Matheson about being on tour with the Martha Graham Dance Company in Portugal; Helen McGehee; the so-called war between ballet and modern dance including Graham's position; yoga and Graham technique; more on her experiences with the company including the tour in Africa and the residency at Connecticut College; her personal experiences with Graham; working in the administrative office of the school and (briefly) Geordie Graham [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 5].
- Streaming audio file 5, April 23, 1979 (approximately 30 minutes). Jean Nuchtern speaks with Katy Matheson about working in the office of Martha Graham's school, including the amounts teachers were paid; Geordie Graham including her relationship with Martha; the physical appearance of the office; her impressions of Louis Horst; an anecdote about Isamu Noguchi, Martha Graham, and a prop he created for Cortege of eagles; LeRoy Leatherman and the administration of the company.
- Alternative Title
- Dance Oral History Project.
- Subjects
- Note
- For transcript of interview, see *MGZMT 3-585.
- Interview with Jean Nuchtern conducted by Katy Matheson on March 5 and April 23, 1979, in New York (N.Y.) for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
- Sound quality is excellent.
- Title supplied by cataloger.
- Access (note)
- Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
- 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
- *MGZTCO 3-585
- OCLC
- 80730623
- Author
Nuchtern, Jean, interviewee.
- Title
Interview with Jean Nuchtern, 1979
- Production
1979
- Type of Content
spoken word
spoken word
- Type of Medium
audio
audio
- Type of Carrier
audiocassette
online resource
- Digital File Characteristics
audio file
- Restricted Access
Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
- Event
Recorded by Katy Matheson 1979, March 5 and April 23 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: three sound cassettes (approximately three hours and 42 minutes); quarter-track; 1.875 ips; transferred to wav file and streaming file format in 2015: myd_mgztco3585_v01f01_sc, myd_mgztco3585_v01f02_sc, myd_mgztco3585_v02f01_sc, myd_mgztco3585_v02f02_sc, and myd_mgztco3585_v03f01_sc.
- Local Note
Former call number: *MGZTC 3-585
- Connect to:
- Added Author
Matheson, Katy, interviewer.
- Research Call Number
*MGZTCO 3-585