Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Clay Taliaferro [sound recording].

Author

Taliaferro, Clay.

Publication

2003.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Elfenbein, Debra.

Description

6 sound cassettes (ca. 310 min.) +

Summary

• Cassette 1 (ca. 60 min.), 07/31/03. Taliaferro discusses his family background and first exposure to and interest in dancing; experiencing segregation in his attempt to study dancing; his developing identity as a dancer; attending the Boston Conservatory of Music; the influence of the South and segregation on his subsequent experiences; more on racism, family, dance training; becoming a professional dancer, getting called up for the army in 1964; issues of race and sexuality in the military; his move to New York and debut performance; his life in New York, performing opportunities and the role that segregation still played.
• Cassette 2 (ca. 60 min.), 07/31/03. Taliaferro remembers various performing experiences, working with Emily Frankel, Donald McKayle and Sophie Maslow; the social and political context of his life in the 1960s; issues of identity and recognition at that time; his affinity with Donald McKayle's Rainbow 'round my shoulder and with McKayle himself; Taliaferro's experience as acting artistic director for McKayle's Company [Donald McKayle and Company?]; the relationship of his life and art at that time; Paul Sanasardo's modern technique class; Taliaferro's relationship to the modern dance community.
• Cassette 3 (ca. 60 min.), 08/01/03. Taliaferro speaks more on the impact of Sanasardo's class for him; his search for his own artistic identity; meeting José Limón and beginning to work with him; learning Limón's roles in various pieces including There is a time and Winged; working at Limón's farm with Limón during Limón's illness.
• Cassette 4 (ca. 30 min.; side B blank), 08/01/03. Taliaferro describes rehearsing The unsung with Limón and the way that Limón worked during this period; learning and performing Emperor Jones; his working relationship and affinity with Limón; the role of the outsider in many of Limón's works; Taliaferro's sense of self.
• Cassette 5 (ca. 60 min.), 08/13/03. His role as assistant artistic director of the José Limón Company; the opportunity given to him by Fannie Helen Melzer to learn choreography and develop his ideas in this area; the social and political context of his work; his place in academia; his invitation to Duke University as a guest teacher and then to stay as faculty; increasing interest in choreography and creating new kinds of vehicles for himself; his community in New York and how that changed when he left the city; other aspects of his life and work since leaving New York; more on issues of race, religion and identity.
• Cassette 6 (ca. 40 min.), 8/13/03. Taliaferro speaks about his sexual identity while growing up and when he came to New York; his experience at the Stonewall riot; more on sexual identity, dance and life; his thoughts on the nature and meaning of dance criticism; closing thoughts on his life and work

Donor/Sponsor

National Endowment for the Arts, 2001-2002.

Alternative Title

• Dance Oral History Project.
• Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

• Taliaferro, Clay
• McKayle, Donald, 1930-2018
• Limón, José
• Sanasardo, Paul
• Rainbow 'round my shoulder (Choreographic work : McKayle)
• Unsung (Choreographic work : Limón)
• There is a time (Choreographic work : Limón)
• Winged (Choreographic work : Limón)
• Stonewall Riots, New York, N.Y., 1969
• Black people > Segregation
• Sexual orientation in the arts
• Racism and the arts
• Dance critics
• Race awareness
• Gender identity
• African Americans in the performing arts

Note

• Interview with Clay Taliaferro conducted by Debra Elfenbein at Duke University in Durham, N.C., on July 31, Aug. 1 and Aug. 13, 2003.
• For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2385.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Call Number

*MGZMT 3-2385

OCLC

NYPY04-R19

Author

Taliaferro, Clay. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Clay Taliaferro [sound recording].

Imprint

2003.

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Local Subject

Race and dance.

Audiotapes -- Taliaferro, C.

Added Author

Elfenbein, Debra. Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZMT 3-2385

*MGZTC 3-2385