Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. McDonagh, Don.
2. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Description

1. 5 sound discs (ca. 180 min.) : digital, stereo; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. Part 1, disc 1 (ca. 31 min.). Jane Dudley speaks with Don McDonagh about Bethsabee de Rothschild's patronage of Martha Graham's company; an anecdote about an antique electric shaver owned by de Rothschild and trying to replace a tiny part instead of buying a new one; de Rothschild's personality; teaching in Israel, and the beauty of the country; meeting the Israeli Graham dancers and noticing a bitterness in the dancers; Robin Howard's dance company in London; revival of Letter to the world; Graham's work in Clytemnestra, and other dances; Graham's need to strip down art in contrast to the training she received through Denishawn; the intensity and assemblage of the body in Graham's technique.
2. Part 1, disc 2 (ca. 31 min.). Jane Dudley speaks with Don McDonagh about Martha Graham's dances, and the ones that made lasting impressions on her, including Heretic, Lamentation, Revolt, and Celebration; Graham's two creative periods, one including men, and the other consisting entirely of women; Graham's floor techniques and inventiveness; her concern for critics who write about Graham's earlier pieces, but have never seen them; Graham's sense of movement; attending Bennington in 1935.
3. Part 2, disc 1 (ca. 31 min.) Jane Dudley speaks with Don McDonagh about working with Hanya Holm; Graham's practice classes, and the effect they had on her; group and solo dances in Graham's company; the use of taller and shorter girls within the company; rehearsing with Louis Horst; Graham's mercilessness in rehearsals; Graham's ability to express truth of movement and teach that expression to her students; Graham 's belief that dance was the transition from one point to another, not the points; her opinion of Erick Hawkins, and his role in the company; Graham's touring schedule; the success of the tour arranged by Frances Hawkins; working in Israel and London, and the differences between the two countries; the interest in Graham's work in many countries.
4. Part 2, disc 2 (ca. 31 min.). Jane Dudley speaks with Don McDonagh about Martha Graham's influence on modern dance; Graham's desire to cut through ballet training in student dancers; Graham's launch of the company in Israel and London; the difference between Israeli and English dancers; Louis Horst's teaching methods and influence on the dancers; Graham's dogs.
5. Part 3 (ca. 55 min.). Jane Dudley speaks with Don McDonagh about touring with Martha Graham in Cuba, and learning about Pearl Harbor; dancing with Merce Cunningham; touring with the Graham company by train; the dancers who were unable to tour due to family obligations; Graham's age; Ruth St. Denis's opinion of Graham; stories that Graham would tell repeatedly, including an anecdote relating dancers to onions; Graham's discussions of kundalini yoga; studying at Bennington, including the fact that students could not bring their husbands, were not allowed to be in the sun, and were not allowed to wear slacks; Graham's reliance on Louis Horst, and Horst's influence on her; Graham's teaching methods, and describing movement as working like a boomerang; Graham's ability to bring out the best in dancers; Graham's teaching methods; sewing costumes and being responsible for ironing and maintaining them; working with Sophie Maslow in Israel; Maslow's use of Jewish-based dances; tap dancing and the difficulty in encouraging audiences when dances are considered ethnic [abrupt end].

Subject

1. Graham, Martha
2. Dudley, Jane > Interviews
3. Horst, Louis > Influence
4. Rothschild, Bethsabée de, baroness
5. American document (Choreographic work : Graham)
6. Lahaḳat ha-maḥol Bat-Shevaʻ
7. Hawkins, Erick
8. Dance company tours
9. Heretic (Choreographic work : Graham)
10. Bennington School of the Dance

Call number

1. *MGZTL 4-2528

Note

1. Interview with Jane Dudley conducted by Don McDonagh on March 23, 1972.
2. Each disc ends abruptly.

Funding (note)

1. Recording was preserved through a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Source (note)

1. Don McDonagh;

Author

1. Dudley, Jane. Interviewee

Title

1. Interview with Jane Dudley [sound recording].

Imprint

1. 1972.

Funding

1. Recording was preserved through a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Local note

1. Archive orig. : *MGZTCO 3-2528, nos. 1-3
2. Dubbing master : *MGZTD 4-2528, nos. 1-5

Source

1. Gift; Don McDonagh; 2007

Local subject

1. Dance company tours.

Added author

1. McDonagh, Don. Interviewer
2. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Research call number

1. *MGZTL 4-2528 sound disc