Research Catalog

Title

Closing the gap [sound recording] / discussion by Acia Gray (as moderator), Jeni Le Gon, and Ernie Smith.

Author

Le Gon, Jeni, 1916-

Publication

2001.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Smith, Ernie, 1924-2004.
• Gray, Acia.

Description

2 sound discs (ca. 83 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in. +

Summary

• Disc 1 (ca. 47 min.). Following Acia Gray's introductory remarks, Jeni Le Gon and Ernie Smith speak about the childhood roots of their love for jazz music, swing, and tap dance; Le Gon speaks about teaching herself tap dance by watching professional dancers; Smith and Le Gon speak about the many vaudeville-style dance acts they had seen or [in Le Gon's case] danced in; Smith speaks about his collecting and writing; Smith and Le Gon speak about tap dancing and Hollywood films, including Le Gon's reminiscences about the many films she danced in such as Hooray for love, Ali Baba goes to town, and Easter parade; the racsim African-American dancers encountered in Hollywood; Le Gon's removal from the cast of the film Broadway Melody of 1936; differences in her style from other female tap dancers; Le Gon and Smith speak further about racism in the film industry; the comedian and dancer Nicodemus [ends abruptly].
• Disc 2 (ca. 36 min.). [Continuation of discussion.] Le Gon and Ernie Smith reminisce about dancers from the past whom they particularly admired including the Nicholas Brothers; Marie Bryant;Juanita Pitz; Cora La Reed [La Redd?]; their thoughts on the current state of tap and jazz dance, including Savion Glover's musical show Bring in 'da noise and bring in 'da funk; Michael Jackson's artistic debt to the Nicholas Brothers and Bill Bailey; Le Gon speaks about Bill Robinson; dancing at the Hoofers' Club; an anecdote about her stealing steps from the Step Brothers; her overall satisfaction with the current generation of tap dancers; Smith speaks about developments he would like to see in the tap dance world; Le Gon speaks about her recent tap dance-related activities.

Donor/Sponsor

• Gift of the International Tap Association.
• National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.

Alternative Title

• International Tap Association Closing the Gap project
• Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Audiotapes > Gray, A
• Women tap dancers
• Le Gon, Jeni, 1916-
• Tap dancing
• Smith, Ernie, 1924-2004
• Tap dancers > United States > Biography
• Audiotapes > LeGon, J
• Jazz tap
• Racism in motion pictures
• Audiotapes > Smith, E
• Racism and the arts
• International Tap Association

Note

• Discussion among Acia Gray, as moderator, Jeni Le Gon, and Ernie Smith, conducted by conference telephone call on Jan. 7, 2001. This discussion is part of the International Tap Association's Closing the Gap project.
• The transcript was not prepared by the Library and may contain misspellings.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2339

OCLC

NYPY05-R10033

Author

Le Gon, Jeni, 1916- Interviewee

Title

Closing the gap [sound recording] / discussion by Acia Gray (as moderator), Jeni Le Gon, and Ernie Smith.

Imprint

2001.

Funding

Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, 2002-2003.

Local Note

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2339

Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-2339

Preservation master: *MGZTP 4-2339 nos. 1-2

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2339 nos. 1-2

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- LeGon, J.

Audiotapes -- Smith, E.

Audiotapes -- Gray, A.

Added Author

Smith, Ernie, 1924-2004. Interviewee

Gray, Acia. Moderator

Added Title

International Tap Association Closing the Gap project

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2339 [sound discs]

*MGZMT 3-2339 [transcript]

*MGZTL 4-2339