Two streaming audio files (approximately one hour and 14 minutes): digital
Summary
Streaming audio file 1 (approximately 44 minutes). Valda Setterfield speaks with Theresa Bowers about her childhood and early dance experiences in England including her move to London to study at the Rambert School; Marie Rambert; dancing in a revue, choreographed by Donald Saddler, in Italy; meeting David Vaughan and moving to the United States; taking class, on scholarship, at José Limón's studio; working with James Waring; her first impression of Merce Cunningham; taking class at Cunningham's studio; going, as an understudy, to Connecticut [the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College] with Cunningham; her impressions of some of the artists she met there including John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Martha Graham; developing as a dancer through her work with Cunningham; continuing to work with Waring while taking class with Cunningham; marriage [to David Gordon] and pregnancy [ends abruptly].
Streaming audio file 2 (approximately 30 minutes). Valda Setterfield speaks with Theresa Bowers about dancing for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; Cunningham's working methods; learning the benefit of moving slowly; teaching; her reasons for leaving the company; her varied dance experiences; her lack of interest in choreographing; her son, Ain Gordon; her parents; dancing for television and film; current choreographers whom she admires; working with David Gordon on his work Chair.
Interview with Valda Setterfield conducted by Theresa Bowers on November 30, 1977 in New York (N.Y.) for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Sound quality is fair to good. At times, the speakers' voices are distorted and fluctuate in volume, and the recording is marred by extraneous noise including "tape hiss". However, overall, the interviewee's voice is easily intelligible.
Access (note)
Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
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.
Author
Setterfield, Valda, interviewee.
Title
Interview with Valda Setterfield, 1977
Production
1977
Type of content
spoken word
Type of medium
audio
Type of carrier
online resource
Digital file characteristics
audio file
Restricted access
Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Event
Recorded by Theresa Bowers 1977, November 30 New York (N.Y.)
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 (one hour and 14 minutes); quarter-track; 1.875 ips.; transferred to wav file and streaming file (myd_mgztco3352_v01f01_sc and myd_mgztco3352_v01f02_sc) in 2015.