Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Dunham, Katherine.
2. Pratt, John, 1912?-1986.
3. Brooklyn Academy of Music.
4. State University of New York.
5. Dance Black America (Festival)

Description

1. 3 sound discs (ca. 153 min.) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. Disc no. 22 (ca. 70 min.). Additional segments of the filmed interview of Katherine Dunham in Haiti made by Don Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus in March, 1983 (shown on 4/24/83) and fragment of interview [ca. 5 min. total] with John Pratt. [Interview with Dunham begins following ca. 7 min. of unrelated material. Fragment of interview with John Pratt begins approx. 20 minutes into track 2.] A substantial part of the Dunham interview recorded on disc no. 22 consists of Dunham's commentary on performances of Haitian dances; the recording includes the sound portion of the dance performances. Dunham also speaks briefly [track 1, ca. 15:30 min. into the recording] about the historical and religious aspects of her home and workplace in Haiti. Pratt speaks about the Dunham technique; the first occasion on which he designed costumes for a Dunham performance, at the Federal Theater in Chicago. [Recording ends abruptly in middle of Pratt interview.]
2. Disc no. 23 (ca. 37 min.). Continuation of filmed Dunham interview recorded on disc no. 22. Dunham speaks briefly about Haitian dancing; she speaks briefly about her creative process, her decision to focus on dance instead of anthropology, her taking up of painting in Haiti; her school and her involvement in civil rights activities in East St. Louis [frequent short gaps; last 8 min. of recording is unrelated material.]
3. Disc no. 24 (ca. 45 min.). Continuation of filmed Dunham interview recorded on discs no. 22 and 23. Dunham speaks about the Dunham technique; Dunham's life in Haiti, especially her painting; Dunham also speaks about the reasons Haiti attracts and interests her. [Interview stops abruptly.]

Donor/Sponsor

1. New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.
2. Gift of Patricia Kerr-Ross.
3. Oral History Archive.

Subject

1. Dance, Black
2. Dance > Haiti
3. Dunham, Katherine
4. Pratt, John, 1912?-1986
5. Dance > Religious aspects > Haiti

Call number

1. *MGZTL 4-1195

Note

1. For the souvenir booklet produced in connection with the Dance Black America festival, see *MGS (U.S.) 84-4253. The booklet includes the festival program, articles by festival panelists, a bibliography, and a filmography. For a videorecording made of performances at the festival, see *MGZIA 4-280.
2. The recording of the Dunham interview is out of sequence. The Dunham interview begins ca. 7 min. into track 1 of disc no. 22 following unrelated or incoherent material; the interview stops abruptly ca. 20 min. into track 2 at which point the recording shifts to an incomplete interview with John Pratt. The Dunham interview then continues on disc no. 23, the last 7 minutes of which are unrelated material. The Dunham interview then continues further on disc no. 24, but ends abruptly.
3. Other segments of the filmed interview (which were shown on 4/22/83) are recorded on *MGZTL 4-1195 no. 10.

Funding (note)

1. Preservation was made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.

Title

1. Dance Black America, April 21-24, 1983 [part 11, April 24] [sound recording] / presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music and State University of New York.

Imprint

1. 1983.

Funding

1. Preservation was made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, 2000-2001.

Local note

1. Archival original: *MGZTCO 3-1195 no. 16, and no. 17, sides A and B.
2. Preservation master: *MGZTP 4-1195 nos. 22, 23, and 24.
3. Dubbing master: *MGZTD 4-1195 nos. 22, 23, and 24.
4. Sound quality: Content in part difficult to comprehend due to gaps, occasional audibility of technician, incorporation of dance performances in the filmed interview, and references to people and objects shown in the film. The cassettes from which the Dance Black America festival were preserved contain gaps, abrupt starts and stops, unrelated material, and material that is out of sequence. In addition, the audibility, especially of questions taken from the audience, is often poor.

Added author

1. Dunham, Katherine.
2. Pratt, John, 1912?-1986.
3. Brooklyn Academy of Music.
4. State University of New York.
5. Dance Black America (Festival)

Research call number

1. *MGZTL 4-1195