Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Kaptzan, Kyra Lynn.

Description

1. 1 sound cassette (ca. 67 min.)

Summary

1. Side A (ca. 50 min.). Charles Ward speaks with Kyra Lynn Kaptzan about his childhood in Los Angeles; his acting as a teenager in musical comedies such as Camelot and West Side story; beginning ballet training at a local Los Angeles school at age 16; training at Gene Marinaccio's school; attending his first ballet performance, of the Stuttgart Ballet, at age 17; joining and dancing with Houston Ballet; Houston Ballet dancers Judith Aaen and John Sellers [Anthony Sellers]; training with a scholarship at American Ballet Theatre School; joining American Ballet Theatre, including an anecdote about Lucia Chase; dancing soloist roles for American Ballet Theatre, including in [Harald Lander's] Etudes; dancing with Carla Fracci in Glen Tetley's Nocturne at the Spoleto Festival [Spoleto Festival U.S.A.] in Charleston, S. C.; being cast as a principal in Tetley's Gemini; reasons a tall male dancer has difficulty in obtaining soloist roles; his feelings about the presence at American Ballet Theatre of the foreign dancers, Natalia Makarova, Fracci, Marcia Haydée and Misha [Mikhail] Baryshnikov; reasons he likes to partner Gelsey Kirkland; partnering Cynthia Gregory; the flatness of almost all male roles in classical story ballets; his reasons for leaving American Ballet Theatre; auditioning for Bob Fosse's musical comedy Dancin'; Bob Fosse's extensive theatrical knowledge; working with him, including Fosse's use of Ward's ballet training; critical and popular response to Dancin', including Ward's and Kaptzan's extensive discussion of their differing opinions of the work [ends abruptly].
2. Side B (ca. 17 min.). Charles Ward continues speaking about performing in Dancin' ; compares manner of preparing for a performance in Dancin' with preparation for performing in a ballet; his relationship with Ann Reinking; his career aspirations after he has finished touring with Dancin'.

Donor/Sponsor

1. Oral history archive.

Uniform title

1. Ballet beat (Radio program)

Subject

1. Ward, Charles, 1952 or 1953-
2. Kirkland, Gelsey
3. Fosse, Bob, 1927-1987
4. American Ballet Theatre
5. Houston Ballet
6. Gemini (Choreographic work : Tetley)

Call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1977 [sound cassette]

Note

1. Sound quality is fair, but the recording is marred by a continuous hiss. On side A the sound quality deteriorates just before the recording abruptly ends.
2. Interview with Charles Ward conducted by Kyra Lynn Kaptzan on Feb. 27, 1979 for the radio program Ballet beat on WNYU-FM and broadcast on March 14, 1979.

Source (note)

1. Kyra Lynn Kaptzan.

Author

1. Ward, Charles, 1952 or 1953-

Title

1. Interview with Charles Ward [sound recording].

Imprint

1. 1979.

Local note

1. Archive original: *MGZTCO 3-1977

Source

1. Gift; Kyra Lynn Kaptzan. NN-PD

Local subject

1. Musical comedies. Dancin'
2. Audiotapes -- Ward, C.
3. Audiotapes -- Kaptzan, K.

Added author

1. Kaptzan, Kyra Lynn. Interviewer

Added title

1. Ballet beat (Radio program)

Research call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1977 [sound cassette]