Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Pally, Alan J.
2. Garland, Robert (Dancer)
3. Mitchell, Arthur, 1934-2018.
4. Johnson, Virginia, 1950-
5. Kisselgoff, Anna.
6. Ward, Penny
7. Schmidt, Jan, 1948-
8. Penny Ward/Video.
9. New York Public Library. Dance Division.
10. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Description

1. 1 videodisc (NTSC) (72 min.) : sd., col.; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

1. The panel discusses the origins and history of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Arthur Mitchell talks about how he met Karl Shook, the co-founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem; how he got a matching grant from the Ford Foundation that initiated lecture demonstrations and the establishing of the company on Feb. 11, 1969. Virginia Johnson talks about her childhood; her dance career beginning with the Washington Ballet and the difficulties of learning the Balanchine technique from the school's ballet teacher, Tanaquil Le Clercq. Robert Garland talks about his childhood and his desire to dance, beginning with attending performances of Dance Theatre of Harlem and dancing with the Philadelphia Dance Company; how he became a choreographer by taking class with Bessie Schönberg and his first choreographic work for Dance Theatre of Harlem's performance on Sesame Street. The panel also discusses how Balanchine used dancers as bodies in space not as black or white individuals; how Mr. Mitchell changed Dance Theatre of Harlem's Creole Giselle by resetting it in New Orleans, Louisiana; how Ms. Johnson reinterpreted the new ballets while still being true to classical ballet; the unifying experience Mr. Garland remembers when dancing in Agnes De Mille's Fall River Legend. The audience asks questions about the racial issues with Mr. Mitchell being the only black dancer in New York City Ballet. Mr. Mitchell mentions his discussions of racism with Mr. Balanchine and the cultural reasons why black dancers begin dancing to late to become ballet dancers and therefore often become modern dancers.

Subject

1. Mitchell, Arthur, 1934-2018
2. De Mille, Agnes > Fall River legend
3. Garland, Robert (Dancer)
4. Dance Theatre of Harlem
5. Racism
6. Shook, Karel
7. Johnson, Virginia, 1950-
8. Video
9. Schönberg, Bessie
10. Dance
11. Balanchine, George
12. Le Clercq, Tanaquil
13. Giselle (Choreographic work : Franklin after Petipa, M)

Genre/Form

1. Dance.
2. Video.

Contents

1. [Introduction] (ca. 4 min.) / by Jan Schmidt -- [Panel discussion] (ca. 67 min.).

Call number

1. *MGZIDVD 5-4899

Note

1. Recording made possible by the cooperation of the Dance Theatre of Harlem ; Public Programs, The New York Public Library ; and the Jerome Robbins Archive of the Recorded Moving Image, Dance Division, The New York Public Library.

Credits (note)

1. Videographer, Penny Ward (Penny Ward/Video).

Event (note)

1. Videotaped in performance at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York, on Feb. 12, 2009.

Funding (note)

1. The Dance Division gratefully acknowledges the assistance of The Jerome Robbins Foundation.

System details (note)

1. DVD, transferred from DVCam cassette.

Title

1. Inspired by a dream [videorecording] : the Dance Theatre of Harlem story / producer, Alan Pally ; presented by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Imprint

1. c2009.

Country of producing entity

1. U.S.

System details

1. DVD, transferred from DVCam cassette.

Event

1. Videotaped in performance at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, New York, on Feb. 12, 2009.

Performer

1. Panelists: Robert Garland, Virginia Johnson, Arthur Mitchell.
2. Moderator, Anna Kisselgoff.

Credits

1. Videographer, Penny Ward (Penny Ward/Video).

Funding

1. The Dance Division gratefully acknowledges the assistance of The Jerome Robbins Foundation.

Added author

1. Pally, Alan J., speaker.
2. Garland, Robert (Dancer) Speaker
3. Mitchell, Arthur, 1934-2018. Speaker
4. Johnson, Virginia, 1950- Speaker
5. Kisselgoff, Anna. Moderator
6. Ward, Penny, videographer.
7. Schmidt, Jan, 1948- Speaker
8. Penny Ward/Video.
9. New York Public Library. Dance Division.
10. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Research call number

1. *MGZIDVD 5-4899