Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Barnes, Clive, 1927-2008.
2. Barnes, Patricia.

Description

1. 2 sound discs (ca. 105 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. Disc 1 (ca. 60 min.), track 1 [Sound quality is fair.] In an interview with Clive Barnes, Jerome Robbins discusses his early training as a dancer and experiences with choreography; working with choreographer Michel Fokine during the early 1940s; conceiving of his ballet Fancy free (1944) and how it came to be produced; the influence of choreographer Senia Gluck-Sandor; his early encounters with George Balanchine at the American Ballet Theatre and a pivotal conversation they later had; his early impressions of ballet, including a performance of Symphony in C by Ballet Society and the dancing of Alexandra Danilova in Swan lake; his various roles as a dancer for the New York City Ballet; his decision to stop dancing [track 1 ends abruptly].
2. [Interview resumes on track 2.] Robbins discusses dancing in various ballets choreographed by George Balanchine, including Prodigal son (1950); his collaboration with Balanchine on their ballet Jones Beach (1949). Robbins discusses his ballets, The guests (1949) and Age of anxiety (1950); his early career as a Broadway director and choreographer, including his first flops such as That's the ticket; more on his work on Broadway, including the lack of documentation of many of his dances; directing versus choreographing; forming and running his own dance company for the Spoleto Festival; the relationship between some of his ballets and his Broadway shows; the ballets that have given him the most satisfaction [stops abruptly].
3. Disc 2 (ca. 45 min.) [Sound quality fair; recording is slightly fast.] Robbins discusses his work with the American Theatre Laboratory (ca. 1966-68); returning to New York City Ballet to choreograph Dances at a gathering (1969) and its inspiration in the dancing of Patricia McBride and Edward Villella; Robbins and Barnes discuss the New York City Ballet; Robbins discusses the use of narrative in his ballets; his future as a choreographer at New York City Ballet; the company's audience; its use of subscription ticket sales; his ballet Les noces (1965) compared with Bronislava Nijinska's version; more on his work with American Theatre Laboratory; his enjoyment of Spoleto, Italy, and his interest in the pas de deux; Robbins begins discussing dance notation [track 1 ends abruptly; track 2 begins]; Robbins and Clive Barnes discuss the process of Labanotation in comparison with other dance notation systems; Robbins discusses his interest in doing a classical ballet such as Swan lake; his feelings about reviving his ballet Watermill (1972); accidents and injuries of dancers at New York City Ballet; casting decisions made by the company [ends abruptly].

Series statement

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Alternative title

1. Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

1. Choreography > United States > 20th century
2. Audiotapes > Robbins, J
3. Robbins, Jerome > Interviews
4. New York City Ballet

Call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3066 JRC

Note

1. Interview conducted by Clive Barnes ca. 1974, and by a second interviewer, possibly Patricia Barnes.

Access (note)

1. Permission required.

Funding (note)

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Source (note)

1. WNET/13

Author

1. Robbins, Jerome, interviewee.

Title

1. Interview with Jerome Robbins. 1974? [sound recording]

Imprint

1. 1974.

Series

1. Jerome Robbins Collection

Access

1. Permission required.

Funding

1. Preservation made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local note

1. Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-3066 JRC
2. Preservation master: *MGZTP 10-3066 JRC
3. Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-3066 JRC
4. Archival transcript: *MGZMTO 3-3066 JRC
5. For a partial transcript see *MGZMT 3-3066 JRC. The transcript was created by WNET/13 in connection with the documentary: Jerome Robbins: Something to dance about.

Source

1. Transcript Gift; WNET/13, 2008. NN-PD

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local subject

1. Audiotapes -- Robbins, J.

Added author

1. Barnes, Clive, 1927-2008. Interviewer
2. Barnes, Patricia. Interviewer

Research call number

1. *MGZTL 4-3066 JRC