Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. 1974? [sound recording]

Author

Robbins, Jerome

Publication

1974.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Barnes, Clive, 1927-2008.
• Barnes, Patricia.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 105 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 60 min.), track 1 [Sound quality is fair.] In an interview with Clive Barnes, Jerome Robbins discusses his early training as a dancer and experiences with choreography; working with choreographer Michel Fokine during the early 1940s; conceiving of his ballet Fancy free (1944) and how it came to be produced; the influence of choreographer Senia Gluck-Sandor; his early encounters with George Balanchine at the American Ballet Theatre and a pivotal conversation they later had; his early impressions of ballet, including a performance of Symphony in C by Ballet Society and the dancing of Alexandra Danilova in Swan lake; his various roles as a dancer for the New York City Ballet; his decision to stop dancing [track 1 ends abruptly].
• [Interview resumes on track 2.] Robbins discusses dancing in various ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, including Prodigal son (1950); his collaboration with Balanchine on their ballet Jones Beach (1949). Robbins discusses his ballets, The guests (1949) and Age of anxiety (1950); his early career as a Broadway director and choreographer, including his first flops such as That's the ticket; more on his work on Broadway, including the lack of documentation of many of his dances; directing versus choreographing; forming and running his own dance company for the Spoleto Festival; the relationship between some of his ballets and his Broadway shows; the ballets that have given him the most satisfaction [stops abruptly].
• Disc 2 (ca. 45 min.) [Sound quality fair; recording is slightly fast.] Robbins discusses his work with the American Theatre Laboratory (ca. 1966-68); returning to New York City Ballet to choreograph Dances at a gathering (1969) and its inspiration in the dancing of Patricia McBride and Edward Villella; Robbins and Barnes discuss the New York City Ballet; Robbins discusses the use of narrative in his ballets; his future as a choreographer at New York City Ballet; the company's audience; its use of subscription ticket sales; his ballet Les noces (1965) compared with Bronislava Nijinska's version; more on his work with American Theatre Laboratory; his enjoyment of Spoleto, Italy, and his interest in the pas de deux; Robbins begins discussing dance notation [track 1 ends abruptly; track 2 begins]; Robbins and Clive Barnes discuss the process of Labanotation in comparison with other dance notation systems; Robbins discusses his interest in doing a classical ballet such as Swan lake; his feelings about reviving his ballet Watermill (1972); accidents and injuries of dancers at New York City Ballet; casting decisions made by the company [ends abruptly].

Series Statement

Jerome Robbins Collection

Alternative Title

Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Choreography > United States > 20th century
• Audiotapes > Robbins, J
• Robbins, Jerome > Interviews
• New York City Ballet

Note

• Interview conducted by Clive Barnes ca. 1974, and by a second interviewer, possibly Patricia Barnes.

Access (note)

• Permission required.

Funding (note)

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

Source (note)

• WNET/13

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3066 JRC

OCLC

NYPT03-R37

Author

Robbins, Jerome, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Jerome Robbins. 1974? [sound recording]

Imprint

1974.

Series

Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

Permission required.

Funding

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

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-3066 JRC

Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3066 JRC

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3066 JRC

Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-3066 JRC

For a partial transcript see *MGZMT 3-3066 JRC. The transcript was created by WNET/13 in connection with the documentary: Jerome Robbins: Something to dance about.

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

Barnes, Clive, 1927-2008. Interviewer

Barnes, Patricia. Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-3066 JRC