Research Catalog

Title

Interview with David Zellmer [sound recording].

Author

Zellmer, David.

Publication

2001.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

McDonagh, Don.

Description

1 sound disc (ca. 74 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

[Begins abruptly.] David Zellmer reminisces with Don McDonagh about various people and experiences relating to his time spent as a dancer in the 1940s with Martha Graham's company, including Bennington College's summer dance program; signing up to serve in World War II and an anecdote about demonstrating what he calls the "Martha sits"; his former roommate, Merce Cunningham, including his Catholic faith; their landlord's (late) husband, the sculptor Frederick MacMonnies; doing odd jobs to earn his living, including working as an artist's model; Ann Hutchinson [Guest] and Helen Priest Rogers [two of the founders of the Dance Notation Bureau]; Linda [Hodes]; Jean Erdman; Robert Horan; Graham's work Death and entrances; how much he enjoyed the Bennington College summer program; Erick Hawkins, including his relationship with Graham and the other dancers. McDonagh speaks about films made of some of Graham's works; about Ron Protas, including a telephone conversation with Protas's lawyer [brief gap]; discussion among all the people present of Protas, including the issue of the rights to Graham's work and an anecdote concerning a collaboration with Ray Green; Zellmer speaks about his recent contact with Yuriko; identifies Graham works in which he danced; taking dance class [at the University of Wisconsin] in order to write about dance for The Daily Cardinal; Matt Turney; Mary Hinkson, including her running a bakery after her retirement; more on class at the University of Wisconsin; reasons he did not return to Graham's company after World War II; his correspondence with Graham during the war; more about Erick Hawkins, including his insistence that Pearl Lack change her name to Lang.

Donor/Sponsor

• Oral history archive.
• New York State Council on the Arts, 2007-2008

Subjects

• Zellmer, David
• Cunningham, Merce
• Graham, Martha
• Martha Graham Dance Company
• Hawkins, Erick
• Audiotapes > Zellmer, D

Note

• Interview with David Zellmer conducted by Don McDonagh on April 28, 2001 in New York City. An unidentified female is present, who occasionally contributes a remark, but is almost completely unintelligible. Also, in track 10, another unidentified woman (Leslie Getz?) enters, who also participates in the conversation.
• Sound quality ranges from poor to fair. The speakers' voices are often very soft and difficult to understand. Also, there is a continuous extraneous hum.
• Open as of August 22, 2012.

Funding (note)

• Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2007-2008 and the National Endowment for the Arts, 2007-2008.

Source (note)

• Don McDonagh

Biography (note)

• David Zellmer was a member of Martha Graham's company from 1940 to 1946. He is also the author of a memoir, The spectator: a World War II bomber pilot's journal of the artist as warrior, c1999.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2497

OCLC

319425077

Author

Zellmer, David. Interviewee

Title

Interview with David Zellmer [sound recording].

Imprint

2001.

Funding

Preservation was funded in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2007-2008 and the National Endowment for the Arts, 2007-2008.

Biography

David Zellmer was a member of Martha Graham's company from 1940 to 1946. He is also the author of a memoir, The spectator: a World War II bomber pilot's journal of the artist as warrior, c1999.

Local Note

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2497

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2497

Source

Gift; Don McDonagh, 2007. NN-PD

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Zellmer, D.

Added Author

McDonagh, Don. Interviewer

McDonagh, Don. Donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2497 [sound disc]