Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. De Mille, Agnes.
2. Saddler, Donald.
3. Pagent, Robert.

Description

1. 11 drawings on tracing paper : ink, watercolor, gouache, wash, color or b&w; 40 x 29 cm. or smaller.

Summary

1. Costume designs for dance performances presented on television, for the Omnibus program on ABC-TV and the Bell Telephone Hour series on NBC-TV.

Subject

1. D'Amboise, Jacques, 1934-2021
2. Costume design drawings
3. Sleeping beauty (Choreographic work : Petipa) > Bluebird pas de deux
4. Bell Telephone hour (Television program)
5. Villella, Edward, 1936-
6. McBride, Patricia, 1942-
7. Verdy, Violette, 1933-2016
8. Kent, Allegra
9. Juliette (Choreographic work : Saddler)
10. D'Amboise, Jacques, 1934-
11. Omnibus (Television program : 1952-1961)

Genre/Form

1. Costume design drawings.

Contents

1. Six costume designs for Agnes de Mille's The art of choreography, telecast on Omnibus on Dec. 30, 1956. They include two Ouled-Naïl [Middle Eastern female] dancers, a czarist ballerina, a male and a female Spanish dancer, and a French can-can dancer.
2. Two sheets contain costume designs for Bell Telephone Hour's Much ado about music program, season 3, episode 11, telecast on March 17, 1961. The program celebrated the plays of William Shakespeare. One design was made for a ballet choreographed by Donald Saddler, based on the tragedy Romeo and Juliet. It depicts ballerina Violette Verdy in the role of Juliet (spelled Juliette on the sheet), and includes front and back views. One design is for Verdy as the fairy queen Titania (the design is labeled Tatiana) in the Midsummer night's dream ballet, also choreographed by Saddler.
3. Costume design for Allegra Kent as an equestrienne in a circus ballet choreographed by Robert Pagent for the Bell Telephone Hour's The signs of spring program, season 3, episode 12, telecast on March 31, 1961.
4. Two costume designs, respectively for Patricia McBride and Edward Villella in the Bluebird pas de deux from The sleeping beauty, presented on Bell Telephone Hour's The younger generation program, season 3, episode 13, telecast on April 14, 1961. The costume design for Villella includes fabric swatches and an identification tag.
5. Costume design for a ballerina's classic tutu for a Christmas program of the Bell Telephone Hour, probably for the Trip to Christmas program, season 4, episode 6, telecast on Dec. 22, 1961, on which Violette Verdy and Edward Villella danced the Nutcracker pas de deux.

Call number

1. *MGZGD Bol S Cos 1-14

Note

1. Title devised by cataloger.
2. Most of the designs are signed: Bolasni. With the exception of the design labeled Tatiana (i.e., Titania), which is unsigned, the designs for the Bell Telephone Hour are signed at upper left.
3. Four drawings are on mounts 47 x 30 cm. or smaller.
4. One design is reproduced as a negative photographic print.
5. Includes two items encapsulated in mylar: fabric swatches and an identification tag, both for the Bluebird pas de deux (see below).

Source (note)

1. Saul Bolasni.

Biography (note)

1. American costume designer Saul Bolasni performed as a dancer, notably in Valerie Bettis's choreography for the musical Up in Central Park (1945). He has designed costumes for the theatre, ballet, and television. He worked for Omnibus from 1956 to 1961 and for the Bell Telephone Hour from 1960 to 1961.
2. The award-winning television series Omnibus, which ran from 1952 to 1961, presented programs on the arts, sciences, and humanities. Agnes de Mille, 1905-1993, a dancer, choreographer, and eloquent spokesperson for the dance, presented two programs on this series: The art of ballet and The art of choreography (both 1956).
3. The Bell Telephone Hour began as a radio concert series in 1940 and moved to television from 1958 to 1968. As one of the first television series to broadcast exclusively in color, it undoubtedly appealed to stage designers. Its programs of classical music, opera, musical theatre, ballet, and drama featured many eminent performing artists. Violette Verdy, Jacques d'Amboise, Allegra Kent, Patricia McBride, and Edward Villella were all members of the New York City Ballet at the time of their appearances.

Author

1. Bolasni, Saul, 1916-2012.

Title

1. [Costume designs] [graphic] / Bolasni.

Imprint

1. [1956-1961]

Biography

1. American costume designer Saul Bolasni performed as a dancer, notably in Valerie Bettis's choreography for the musical Up in Central Park (1945). He has designed costumes for the theatre, ballet, and television. He worked for Omnibus from 1956 to 1961 and for the Bell Telephone Hour from 1960 to 1961.
2. The award-winning television series Omnibus, which ran from 1952 to 1961, presented programs on the arts, sciences, and humanities. Agnes de Mille, 1905-1993, a dancer, choreographer, and eloquent spokesperson for the dance, presented two programs on this series: The art of ballet and The art of choreography (both 1956).
3. The Bell Telephone Hour began as a radio concert series in 1940 and moved to television from 1958 to 1968. As one of the first television series to broadcast exclusively in color, it undoubtedly appealed to stage designers. Its programs of classical music, opera, musical theatre, ballet, and drama featured many eminent performing artists. Violette Verdy, Jacques d'Amboise, Allegra Kent, Patricia McBride, and Edward Villella were all members of the New York City Ballet at the time of their appearances.

Local note

1. The two designs for the Bluebird variation and the design for the ballerina's classic tutu were formerly misattributed to Karinska. Former call numbers: *MGZGA Kar B Blu 1-2.
2. Cataloging funds provided by Friends of Jerome Robbins Dance Division.
3. For a film of The art of choreography, see: *MGZHB 12-70.
4. For a film, titled Juliette, of the Romeo and Juliet ballet from the Bell Telephone Hour, see: *MGZHB 4-75.
5. For a film of A midsummer night's dream ballet from the Bell Telephone Hour, see: *MGZHB 4-1233.
6. For a film, titled Circus ballet, of Allegra Kent and others on the Bell Telephone Hour, see: *MGZHB 4-1171.
7. For a film of Patricia McBride and Edward Villella in The sleeping beauty: Bluebird pas de deux on the Bell Telephone Hour, see: *MGZHB 4-1168.
8. For a film of Violette Verdy and Edward Villella in the Nutcracker pas de deux, see: *MGZHB 4-99.

Source

1. Gift; Saul Bolasni.

Added author

1. De Mille, Agnes. Associated name
2. Saddler, Donald. Associated name
3. Pagent, Robert. Associated name
4. Bolasni, Saul, 1923- Donor

Research call number

1. *MGZGD Bol S Cos 1-14