Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Rebecca Wright. November 8, 1972.

Author

Wright, Rebecca, 1947-2006

Publication

1972

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Gruen, John

Description

2 sound discs (approximately one hour and one minute): digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1, approximately 47 minutes. John Gruen speaks with Rebecca Wright about her career at the Joffrey Ballet beginning with her family background; her early training and performances with the Dayton Civic Ballet, in Ohio; moving to New York City and joining the Joffrey Ballet after graduating from high school; a great personal tragedy as the turning point in her approach to her dancing; her physical shortcomings as a dancer; some of her roles including Jerome Robbins' work Interplay; reasons she loves working with Robbins; reasons she likes being part of the Joffrey Ballet; briefly, Robert Joffrey as a teacher; Gerald Arpino as a choreographer; problems with the company including the high turnover of the dancers; [Joffrey's ballet] Astarte and the effect it has had on audience expectations; the company's non-hierarchical structure; the collegial nature, for the most part, of the company; Wright describes what she is wearing and why she has so little furniture in her apartment; certain aspects of her personality; her physical appearance; her views on the use of [illicit] drugs [ends abruptly].
• Disc 2, approximately 14 minutes. John Gruen and Rebecca Wright continue to speak about her career at the Joffrey Ballet including the narrowness of most dancers' lives; her boyfriend; her interest in writing and teaching; her conflicting emotions about performing; her feeling that her career has been three-quarters frustration and one-quarter fulfilling; her pleasure in taking class, in particular those taught by Robert Joffrey; briefly, the teacher Basil Thompson; the teacher Maggie [Margaret] Black.

Donor/Sponsor

Gift of John Gruen, April 1974

Alternative Title

Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Wright, Rebecca, 1947-2006
• Joffrey, Robert
• Joffrey Ballet
• Robbins, Jerome
• Arpino, Gerald
• Audiotapes > Wright, R

Note

• Interview with Rebecca Wright conducted by John Gruen on November 8, 1972 at Wright's home in New York City as research for a chapter in John Gruen's book, The private world of ballet (New York, Viking Press.
• Sound quality is good. There are some extraneous noises and a few short gaps.

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 4-208

OCLC

83898679

Author

Wright, Rebecca, 1947-2006, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Rebecca Wright. November 8, 1972.

Production

1972

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by John Gruen 1972, November 8 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 one hour and one minute); 1 7/8 ips. originally recorded on November 8, 1972; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013.

Local Note

Former classmark: *MGZTC 3-208

Added Author

Gruen, John, interviewer.

Gruen, John, donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-208