Research Catalog

Title

Interview with José Molina [sound recording].

Author

Molina, José, 1936-2018.

Publication

2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Goldberg, K. Meira.
• National Endowment for the Arts, 2009-2010.
• New York State Council on the Arts, 2009-2010.

Description

5 sound discs (ca. 259 min.): digital; 4 3/4 in. +

Summary

• Disc 1, May 18, 2010 (ca. 60 min.). José Molina speaks with Meira Goldberg about his life and career including his full name, José Molina Quijada, and his childhood in Spain; how he began dancing and his touring with Soledad Miralles in Europe when he was a teenager; his audition in 1956 in New York for the Steve Allen Show; briefly, his first impressions of José Greco and Pilar Lopez; reminiscences about members of José Greco's Spanish dance company [the José Greco Company].
• Disc 2, May 18, 2010 (ca. 51 min.). José Molina speaks with Meira Goldberg about José Greco and touring in North America and Europe as a dancer with José Greco's Spanish ballet company [the José Greco Company]; the dances, including solos, he performed with the company, including the Bolero clasico and Verdiales; more on the company and the circumstances of his leaving [ca. 1961] to form his own company, José Molina Bailes Españoles; his philosophy regarding his own company and the types of Spanish dance they performed; dancers and musicians who were in his first company; briefly, why he disbanded the company; briefly, some financial aspects of running the company.
• Disc 3, May 25, 2010 (ca. 54 min.). José Molina speaks with Meira Goldberg further about his company José Molina Bailes Españoles; tells anecdotes about his appearances on television shows including The Merv Griffin Show and The late night show with Johnny Carson; speaks about (briefly) the transition from directing his company to teaching; why he enjoys teaching; teaching in Miami, Fla.; how he teaches the Sevillanas; briefly, how he learned to play castanets; briefly, the changes he has observed over time in folklore dances, including the Allegrias, Flamenco, and the Sevillanas; briefly the differences between folklore dances and classical dance in Spain; touring with his company, including performing at Carnegie Hall, in N.Y. and some of the dancers and musicians in the company over the years; other Spanish dance companies; briefly, Antonio Gades' ballet Fuente Ovejuna; his (Molina's) La petenera, including its lead dancer Mari Carmen Villena; an anecdote about how Villena joined his dance company; the reason siblings in his company used different stage names and nicknames; briefly, his first lead dancers, Luis Montero and Antonia (Antoñita) Martinez.
• Disc 4, May 25, 2010 (ca. 51 min.). José Molina speaks with Meira Goldberg further about his company José Molina Bailes Españoles including (briefly), the programs, guest choreographers and dances they performed in Carnegie Hall in New York; his daily warm-up routine while on tour; why he later formed a smaller company; becoming friends with Mariano Parra; anecdotes about the influence of his mother on his cooking, his parents attending one of his performances at Carnegie Hall; reminsces about his childhood, including his home in Madrid, his father's playing the guitar and the mandolin, community celebrations and festivals, and growing up poor and how this influenced his character and values; an anecdote about the examination in Spain he took to be able to dance professionally; briefly, his dance partner Antonia [Martinez] and their dancing together; briefly, why he lives in the U.S.; briefly, some of his students.
• Disc 5, June 1, 2010 (ca. 42 min.). José Molina speaks with Meira Goldberg about his first teaching job, in Saratoga, N.Y.; his first injury and teaching his students to dance safely; briefly, how he teaches the plie and how it is used in Flamenco; the Sevillanas dances, including teaching the steps and rhythms; why students of Spanish dance should also train in Spain; briefly, habits he has seen in current students; the classes he would include in a training conservatory, including Escuela bolera, regional dances, Flamenco, and classical Spanish dance; more on teaching methodology, in particular regarding the order of steps; briefly, his opinion of current Flamenco dancers as compared with past Flamenco dancers; briefly, his opinion of the Conservatory of Madrid [Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma]; briefly, current techniques of dancers in the U.S. compared to that of dancers in Spain.

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subject

• Molina, José, 1936-2018
• Miralles, Soledad
• Parra, Mariano
• Villena, Carmen
• Greco, José
• José Greco Company
• José Molina Bailes Españoles
• Dance > Spain
• Dance > Study and teaching
• Flamenco
• Folk dancing > Spain
• Audiotapes > Parra, M

Note

• Interview with Jośé Molina conducted by Meira Goldberg on May 18 and 25 and June 1, 2010, at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City as part of the Oral History Project.

Access (note)

• The audio recording was opened, per the oral author's request, as of September 14, 2013; former permission requirements were removed. The transcript remains open. For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2625.
• Photography of the transcript permitted for research purposes only.

Funding (note)

• The assistance of the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts is gratefully acknowledged.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2625

OCLC

732667937

Author

Molina, José, 1936-2018. Interviewee

Title

Interview with José Molina [sound recording].

Imprint

2010.

Access

The audio recording was opened, per the oral author's request, as of September 14, 2013; former permission requirements were removed. The transcript remains open. For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-2625.

Funding

The assistance of the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts is gratefully acknowledged.

Restricted Access

Photography of the transcript permitted for research purposes only.

Local Subject

Spanish dancing

Added Author

Goldberg, K. Meira. Interviewer

National Endowment for the Arts, 2009-2010.

New York State Council on the Arts, 2009-2010.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-2625

*MGZMT 3-2625