Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Carol Sumner. November 13, 1972, 1972.

Author

Sumner, Carol, 1940-

Publication

1972

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Gruen, John

Description

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

Summary

• Disc 1, approximately 47 minutes. John Gruen speaks with Carol Sumner about growing up in Brooklyn, New York, and her early dance training including at the School of American Ballet; some of her teachers; becoming a member of New York City Ballet as an apprentice; her struggle to overcome her late start and lack of strength; George Balanchine including as a teacher and as a person; her response to the criticism that New York City Ballet dancers are cold technicians; her position in the company; the dancers, including the collegial atmosphere; life as a dancer, in particular its flow of peaks and valleys; her impressions of [Igor] Stravinsky; briefly, some of her roles including in [Frederick] Ashton's Illuminations; male homosexual dancers [Guren recounts Balanchine's comments about dancers having children, including Allegra Kent]; Sumner speaks about marriage, children, and boy friends; Artie Shaw; the education she has acquired as a dancer at New York City Ballet; dancers she particularly admires including Peter Martins, Helgi Tomasson, and Suzanne Farrell; Farrell's career since leaving the company; other dancers she admires including Patricia McBride, Edward Villella, and Gelsey Kirkland; Sumner's own romantic relationships; her experience touring in Russia [the former Soviet Union] including the food; the Soviet audiences; performances she saw in Russia [ends abruptly].
• Disc 2, approximately 12 minutes. John Gruen and Carol Sumner continue to speak about performances Sumner saw in Russia including Daphnis and Chloe; how much she likes teaching; briefly, Gloria [Govrin] as a teacher; her overall satisfaction as a dancer at New York City Ballet; her approach to working with Jerry [Jerome] Robbins and reasons Balanchine is easier to work with [Gruen recounts an anecdote about Rudolf Nureyev's self-confidence]; her thoughts when actually performing; how she deals with her performance anxiety.

Donor/Sponsor

Gift of John Gruen, April 1974

Alternative Title

Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Sumner, Carol, 1940-
• School of American Ballet
• Balanchine, George
• Audiotapes > Sumner, C
• Robbins, Jerome
• New York City Ballet

Note

• Interview with Carol Sumner conducted by John Gruen on November 13, 1972 in New York City. This interview was used as a basis for a chapter in John Gruen's book, The private world of ballet (New York, Viking Press).
• For transcript, see: *MGZMT 3-195.
• Sound quality is good. There are occasional extraneous noises and 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 4-195

OCLC

144656018

Author

Sumner, Carol, 1940- interviewee.

Title

Interview with Carol Sumner. November 13, 1972, 1972.

Production

1972

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by John Gruen 1972, November 13 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); 1 7/8 ips. originally recorded on November 13, 1972; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013.

Local Note

Former classmark: *MGZTC 3-195

Added Author

Gruen, John, interviewer.

Gruen, John, donor

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-195