Research Catalog

Title

Interview with William G. Hamilton [sound recording].

Author

Hamilton, William G.

Publication

1981.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

McDonagh, Don.

Description

1 sound disc (ca. 71 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

[Begins abruptly.] Dr. William Hamilton speaks with Don McDonagh about certain physiological aspects of ballet, including the fundamental divide between those whose bodies are inherently suited to ballet and those whose bodies are not; physical characteristics necessary or highly desirable for a ballet dancer, including some degree of natural turnout; generalized ligamentous laxity; a supple instep and a full range of motion in the ankle; knee injuries as occurring due to insufficient turnout; the common phenomenon of an extra bone (os trigonium) in the foot; reasons men are usually able to start their training later than women; the erroneous impression that ballet training is harmful; height, including the almost uniform height of the Royal Ballet's dancers as contrasted with the greater variation among the New York City Ballet's dancers; weight, including the far greater concern of the women than the men with their weight; reasons he thinks back injuries are so common in male dancers, and measures taken to try to correct this; female dancers and neck injuries; spondylogenic injury; stress fractures and shin splits; the point at which most dancers will stop dancing due to an injury; George Balanchine's great concern for his dancers' well-being; different patterns of injury in different companies, for example as seen in ABT [American Ballet Theatre], New York City Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet; stages that increase the risk of injury, for example that of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; [gap] Larry Vincent [Dr. Lawrence G. Vincent]; Michelle P. Williams and her writings on the effects of extreme thinness in dancers; the high level of athleticism of professional ballet dancers as measured against professional athletes in football and other sports; the near-futility of trying to speed the healing of a bone injury; treatment of the Achilles tendon; Mikhail Baryshnikov, including an anecdote illustrating the rapport between him and Balanchine.

Donor/Sponsor

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

Subject

• Hamilton, William G
• New York City Ballet
• Ballet > Physiological aspects
• Stress (Physiology)
• Sports medicine
• Dancing injuries

Note

• Interview with Dr. William G. Hamilton conducted by Don McDonagh on Jan. 15, 1981 in New York City.
• Sound quality is fair. The voice of Dr. William G. Hamilton, the interviewee, can be clearly heard. The voice of Don McDonagh, the interviewer, is very soft at times. There is some distortion, and the recording is marred by occasional extraneous noise.
• 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)

• Dr. William Hamilton was the official doctor for New York City Ballet.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2492

OCLC

319426898

Author

Hamilton, William G. Interviewee

Title

Interview with William G. Hamilton [sound recording].

Imprint

1981.

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

Dr. William Hamilton was the official doctor for New York City Ballet.

Local Note

Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-2492

Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-2492

Source

Gift; Don McDonagh, 2007. NN-PD

Local Subject

Audiotapes -- Hamilton, W.

Added Author

McDonagh, Don. Interviewer

McDonagh, Don. Donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2492 [sound disc]