Interview with Zeke Manners (ca. 24 min.) / Manners, who describes himself as a musician rather than a dancer, recalls aspects of the entertainment world beginning in the 1930s, when he arrived in New York to perform folk music. He discusses the escapism fostered by the Depression, dance marathons, the leading role played by the big bands in setting trends in music and dance, and the rise of the jitterbug. Throughout the interview he illustrates his points by demonstrating various dance steps (the time-step, break and shim sham shimmy) and playing brief musical phrases on the piano.
Interview with Danny Dare (ca. 16 min.) / Dare recalls how he became a dancer at age 14, specializing in eccentric and tap dancing, and discusses auditions of the time. He describes how the somewhat limited choreography of the 1920s, which relied on formations and the physical attractiveness of the dancers, gave way to greater proficiency in dancing in the 1930s. He traces his own career as dancer, choreographer (then called dance director) and producer on stage and film. This interview continues on *MGZIC 9-6238 cassette two.
Call number
*MGZIDF 8631
Access (note)
Patrons can access streaming video file only at the Library for the Performing Arts.
Funding (note)
Preservation of this video was supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Title
If only for an hour, original interviews. Zeke Manners, Danny Dare [electronic resource] / produced and directed by Jane Levy Reed and Peggy Heller.
Imprint
1976.
Country of producing entity
U.S.
Performer
Interviewers: Jane Levy Reed, Peggy Heller.
Restricted access
Patrons can access streaming video file only at the Library for the Performing Arts.
Funding
Preservation of this video was supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.