Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. De Mille, Agnes
2. DHCA.

Description

1. 8 sound cassettes (4 hr., 30 min.)

Summary

1. Cassette 1 (40 min.). Recorded November 29, 1982. Side 1. Ms. Lang discusses Graham's Judith and sexual imagery; difficulties of performing Graham's Clytemnestra; Zoe Caldwell as Medea; early days of Graham's company; Louis Horst's influence on Graham's choreography; Horst's generosity and his classes; Horst helping Lang get into Graham's company; Graham's health; coaching current repertory; today's dancers; Horst's rift with Erick Hawkins -- Side 2. Graham's Primitive mysteries, Appalachian spring, and Frontier; how union rules have changed Graham's working habits; Horst's conducting.
2. Cassette 2 (55 min.). Recorded April 4, 1985. Side 1. Agnes de Mille, in summing up interview with Pearl Lang, discusses Graham's early company in contrast to today's dancers; learning roles; Lang's feeling that today's dancers lack artistic vision and direction; Erick Hawkins in Graham's Dark meadow; Graham teaching her own roles; Horst's heart attack; Graham's support of Lang's work; Graham's students; public reactions to Graham's work; biblical story of Judith; de Mille's properties [personal notes]; Graham's Greenwich Village follies; Helen Tamiris -- Side 2. De Mille discusses the time when Dorothy Bird and Nelle Fisher joined Graham's company; Graham's approach to dance; Denishawn; Ruth St. Denis' approach to dance; being stranded abroad; continuing the company despite severe financial problems; St. Denis' influence on Graham regarding costumes and her approach to dance; Graham's early reviews; Glen Tetley's knee injury "cured" by Graham's explanation of proper pliés; Graham's appearance; Graham's relationship with Hanya Holm; Graham's Dark meadow.
3. Cassette 3 (10 min). Recorded November 5, 1986. Side 1. Ms. Lang discusses Graham's program in Paris, 1951; Graham's inability to dance; fights with Erick Hawkins; different versions of Graham's Judith; Graham's Song of Deborah; speaking Yiddish; the original dance school building. De Mille dictates personal correspondence for rest of Side 1 -- Side 2. Blank.
4. Cassette 4 (35 min.). Recorded January 1, 1987. Side 1. Ms. Lang discusses Graham's Ardent song; Jane Dudley and The Place in London; Graham technique in Britain; plagiarism of Graham's works; replacing Graham in her roles; Graham's dancers; importance of dramatic training in Graham's work; Graham technique and becoming emotionally involved; importance of Louis Horst at the Juilliard school; Antony Tudor's lack of sensitivity with young students; Graham's support of Lang's work; the unitards in Graham's Acts of light -- Side 2. Ms. Lang discusses contemporary Graham dancers. De Mille makes some corrections to her research (most of side 2 is blank).
5. Cassette 5 (20 min.). Recorded July 11, 1988. Side 1. Ms. Lang discusses Graham's Voyage and Ardent song on the 1954 tour; sewing costumes and improvising choreography; the idea of Kundalini yoga in Graham's technique; different works called Voyage. Ms. de Mille sums up, noting acknowledgements for book; describes her childhood memories; dictates correspondence concerning the Paris Opéra re-using her ballets; discusses Anthony Bliss -- Side 2. De Mille talks about her childhood (5 min.; the rest blank).
6. Cassette 6 (30 min.). Side 1. Ms. Lang, reviewing the de Mille manuscript for the Graham book, discusses the premiere of Graham's Voyage in 1954; Jane Dudley teaching in London; filming of Graham's technique; "performing" in Graham's classes; Louis Horst at Juilliard; Craig Barton's importance to the Graham company; Bethsabée de Rothschild's contribution to the company; her own performance in Graham's Letter to the world; costume in Graham's Primitive mysteries. (Side 2 blank)
7. Cassette 7 (35 min.). Side 1. Agnes de Mille discusses memories of her early dances in London. She continues with Graham material, discussing Graham's fear of the dark, inability to swim, temper tantrums and driving her car in the rain; Graham not allowing students to wear black in class; Colonel de Basil, René Blum, Sergei Denham and the various Ballet Russe companies; American versus European culture; dances lost over time; ballet dancers. (Side 1 ends with more personal de Mille information.) -- Side 2 (low volume in places). De Mille dictates memoirs for about 10 min. She continues discussion of Graham's early successes; Erick Hawkins' importance in the company and his relationship with Graham; 1936 Bennington season; Graham's American document.
8. Cassette 8 (45 min.). Recorded March 13, 1985. Side 1. Ms. Lang discusses Graham sacrificing her life to art; the classroom as a choroegraphic laboratory; the biblical story of Judith and Graham's three versions; Erick Hawkins' role in getting work for Graham; Graham's Clytemnestra, Primitive mysteries, and "Punch" [Punch and the Judy]; Bill Carter's dancing; difficulty in replacing Hawkins' roles; Graham's Acrobat of God -- Side 2. Graham's health and work habits at age 91; Halston as costume designer; Graham's Rite of spring; Graham's choreographic vocabulary; role of fund granters in Graham's art; Ron Protas' role in casting; David Hatch Walker; herself as a teacher of Graham repertory; performing in large theaters

Donor/Sponsor

1. Oral History Archive. Gift of Agnes de Mille.

Subject

1. Lang, Pearl, 1921-2009
2. Graham, Martha
3. Caldwell, Zoe
4. Horst, Louis
5. Hawkins, Erick
6. Tamiris, Helen, 1905-1966
7. Bird, Dorothy, 1912-1996
8. Fisher, Nelle
9. St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968
10. Tetley, Glen
11. Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992
12. Dudley, Jane
13. Tudor, Antony, 1908-1987
14. Bliss, Anthony A., 1913-1991
15. Barton, Craig
16. Rothschild, Bethsabée de, Baroness
17. Blum, René, 1878-1942
18. Basil, W. de
19. Denham, Sergei, 1896-1970
20. Carter, William, 1936-1988
21. Halston, 1932-1990
22. Protas, Ron
23. Walker, David Hatch
24. Graham, Martha. Judith
25. Graham, Martha. Clytemnestra
26. Graham, Martha. Primitive mysteries
27. Graham, Martha. Appalachian spring
28. Graham, Martha. Frontier
29. Graham, Martha. Dark meadow
30. Graham, Martha. Ardent song
31. Graham, Martha. Acts of light
32. Graham, Martha. Theatre for a voyage
33. Graham, Martha. Letter to the world
34. Graham, Martha. American document
35. Graham, Martha. Punch and the Judy
36. Graham, Martha. Acrobats of God
37. Graham, Martha. Rite of spring
38. Martha Graham Dance Company
39. Denishawn Dancers
40. Place (London, England)
41. Opéra de Paris. Ballet
42. Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
43. Ballets de Monte-Carlo
44. Original Ballet Russe
45. Bennington School of the Dance
46. Song of Deborah (Choreographic work : Lang, P)
47. Sex in dance
48. Dancers -- United States -- 20th century
49. Dance -- Economic aspects
50. Modern dance -- England
51. Copyright -- Choreography
52. Copyright infringement
53. Choreographers -- Professional ethics
54. Costume
55. Dance -- History -- 20th century
56. Yoga
57. Ballet dancers
58. Choreography
59. Musical comedies. Greenwich Village follies
60. Trade-unions -- Dancers
61. Biblical characters in dance
62. Modern dance -- Technique -- Denishawn
63. Modern dance -- Technique -- Graham
64. Dance ethnology
65. Dance company tours
66. Dancers as actors
67. Phonotapes -- De Mille, A
68. Phonotapes -- Lang, P

Call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1627

Note

1. Interviews conducted by Agnes de Mille as part of her research for the biography of Martha Graham entitled Martha.

Author

1. Lang, Pearl, 1921-2009, interviewee.

Title

1. Interviews with Pearl Lang [sound recording]

Imprint

1. 1982-1988.

Local subject

1. Musical comedies. Greenwich Village follies.
2. Trade-unions -- Dancers.
3. Biblical characters in dance.
4. Modern dance -- Technique -- Denishawn.
5. Modern dance -- Technique -- Graham.
6. Dance ethnology.
7. Dance company tours.
8. Dancers as actors.
9. Phonotapes -- De Mille, A.
10. Phonotapes -- Lang, P.

Added author

1. De Mille, Agnes. Interviewer
2. De Mille, Agnes. Martha.
3. DHCA.

Research call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1627