Research Catalog

Title

Working with Balanchine [sound recording] : a conversation with Jerome Robbins.

Author

Robbins, Jerome

Publication

1993.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Sorrin, Ellen.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 1 hr., 27 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 55 min.) Jerome Robbins speaks about his long association with George Balanchine; working with Balanchine during his early years on Broadway; attending Balanchine's rehearsals and ballets; joining New York City Ballet as a dancer and choreographer; Balanchine's choreographic process including his in-depth knowledge of the musical score; New York City Ballet during its years at the City Center; dancing in various Balanchine ballets, including Tyl Ulenspiegel (1951), Prodigal son (1950) and Caracole (1952); Robbins discusses Balanchine's influence on him and the influence of various teachers he met at the School of American Ballet; collaborating with Balanchine on Jones Beach (1950), The nutcracker (1954), and Pulcinella (1972); Balanchine's conception of theatricality; Robbins' changing relationship with Balanchine; leaving the company and then returning in 1968; Balanchine's response to Robbins' work Dances at a gathering (1969); Robbins' development of his own choreographic identity; Balanchine's response to and ideas on other Robbins works and his help completing Robbins' Fanfare (1953); giving Balanchine feedback at his rehearsals; sharing a dressing room with Balanchine; more on their changing relationship and Balanchine's impact on Robbins; Balanchine's generosity and lack of competitiveness.
• Disc 2 (ca. 32 min.) Robbins plays a 25-minute video excerpt of Balanchine rehearsing Variations pour une porte et un soupir (1974) (for videorecording see *MGZIA 4-6005). The rehearsal features Balanchine keeping time precisely with the avant-garde score by Pierre Henry, working with music director Gordon Boelzner, and setting the ballet on dancers Karin von Aroldingen and John Clifford. Robbins concludes with comments on Balanchine's use of music and choreographic meter in his work, and the difficulty of discussing Balanchine's work in one hour.

Series Statement

Jerome Robbins Collection

Alternative Title

Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Audiotapes > Robbins, J
• Balanchine, George
• Pulcinella (Choreographic work : Balanchine and Robbins)
• Dances at a gathering (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Robbins, Jerome > Interviews
• New York City Ballet
• Variations pour une porte et un soupir (Choreographic work : Balanchine)
• Fanfare (Choreographic work : Robbins)
• Jones Beach (Choreographic work : Balanchine and Robbins)

Note

• Interview conducted by Ellen Sorrin, Dir. of Education for the New York City Ballet. Presented by the New York City Ballet Guild on Mar. 3, 1993 as part of discussion series for The Balanchine Celebration.

Funding (note)

• Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Source (note)

• WNET/13

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3090 JRC

OCLC

NYPT03-R1

Author

Robbins, Jerome, interviewee.

Title

Working with Balanchine [sound recording] : a conversation with Jerome Robbins.

Imprint

1993.

Series

Jerome Robbins Collection

Funding

Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local Note

For transcript see *MGZMT 3-3090 JRC. The transcript was created by WNET/13 in connection with the documentary: Jerome Robbins: Something to dance about.

Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-3090 JRC

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-3090 JRC

Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3090 JRC

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3090 JRC

Source

Transcript Gift; WNET/13, 2008. NN-PD

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Added Author

Sorrin, Ellen. Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3090 JRC