Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Paolo Bortoluzzi. January 18, 1973, 1973.

Author

Bortoluzzi, Paolo, 1938-

Publication

1973

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Gruen, John

Description

1 sound disc (approximately 42 minutes.): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

John Gruen speaks with Paolo Bortoluzzi about Bortoluzzi's career as a ballet dancer beginning with his family; his early dance training in his birthplace, Genoa, and in Milan; his performances with the company Compania del Balletto Italiano formed by his teacher Ugo Dell'Ara; performing for [Leonide] Massine at the Nervi Festival [Festival Internazionale del Balletto di Nervi]; his impressions of Massine; his association with Maurice Béjart, and Ballet du XXe siècle; some of his roles including in Béjart's Nomos alpha; leaving Béjart's company for American Ballet Theatre in order to have the opportunity to dance more classical roles; Béjart as a choreographer; Bortoluzzi's wife Jaleh Kerendi; the lack of suitable partners for him at Béjart's company; some of his roles and partners at American Ballet Theatre; movement of the body as a joyful experience; his interest in dancing for Balanchine and the potential obstacles; his reluctance to choose any one style of dancing; male dancers, including what he describes as soft roles like the Spectre in Spectre de la rose, and the public's perception of them [Gruen recounts Jorge Donn's remarks to him about Donn's relationship with Béjart]; his focus on the joy of dancing when he is performing; Erik Bruhn and Rudolf Nureyev as two of the male dancers he admires most; his interest in choreographing including some examples of his choreography for Béjart's company; his typical day; his interest in cars; factors he sees as essential to a successful career in dance [Gruen describes Bortoluzzi's physical appearance]; his hope that audiences leave with an emotional souvenir of the performance.

Donor/Sponsor

Gift of John Gruen, April 1974

Subjects

• Massine, Leonide, 1896-1979
• Bortoluzzi, Paolo, 1938-
• Audiotapes > Bortoluzzi, P
• American Ballet Theatre
• Ballet du XXe siècle (Belgium)
• Béjart, Maurice

Note

• Interview with Paolo Bortoluzzi conducted by John Gruen on January 18, 1973 at the Russian Tea Room restaurant in New York City. This interview was the basis for a chapter in John Gruen's book, The private world of ballet (New York, Viking Press).
• Sound quality is fair. There is extraneous noise due to the fact that the interview is being conducted in a restaurant, and, in the last approximately 15 minutes of the recording there is occasional distortion (due to distortion in the original recording) in the speakers' voices; however, they are always easily audible.
• For transcript, see: *MGZMT 3-138.

Funding (note)

• The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-135

OCLC

37122355

Author

Bortoluzzi, Paolo, 1938- interviewee.

Title

Interview with Paolo Bortoluzzi. January 18, 1973, 1973.

Production

1973

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by John Gruen 1973, January 19 New York (New York).

Funding

The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.

Original Version

Original format: one sound cassette (approximately 42 minutes); 1 7/8 ips. originally recorded on January 19, 1973; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013.

Local Note

Former classmark: *MGZTC 3-135

Added Author

Gruen, John, interviewer.

Gruen, John, donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-135