1 streaming video file (NTSC) (48 min.) : sd., col.
Summary
Agnes de Mille and Bob Fosse, respectively represented on the current Broadway scene by the revival of Oklahoma! and Dancin', discuss aspects of choreographing for Broadway and film. After viewing footage of the audition scene from Fosse's film All that jazz, they describe the qualities they look for at auditions, and compare the roles of performer and choreographer. They then discuss the American perception of ballet as "sissy," and the expression of sexuality in dance. The volta, a daring 17th-century dance reconstructed by de Mille for her lecture-demonstration Conversations about the dance, is seen in a video performance by members of the Joffrey Ballet. Fosse discusses the two versions of the "Erotica" number he created for All that jazz, the first (seen in a film clip) in conventional Broadway style, the second conceived as an expression of the main character's sexual fantasies. Other topics include the difference between choreographing for the stage and the camera, typical salaries of Broadway dancers, the rivalry over billing and credits, and television advertising for Broadway shows.
Donor/Sponsor
Agnes de Mille Collection.
Uniform title
Conversations about the dance (Choreographic work)