Merce Cunningham speaks with David Vaughan about how dance as a profession has changed since he started; Cunningham speaks about the NEA touring program [National Endowment for the Arts, Dance Program] that his [Merce Cunningham Dance] Company participated in, and ways in which it impacted the dance profession; Cunningham speaks about the increase of dance companies in France, especially as compared to his 1949 visit to Paris; briefly, his opinion on the current trends in choreography; Cunningham speaks about seeing a movie on [Jackson] Pollack [part of the Strokes of genius (1984), television mini-series], and compares dance to the abstract expressionist movement in visual art; Vaughan's brief opinion on dance developmentally lagging behind other arts; they discuss a greater public acceptance of dance; briefly, Cunningham speaks about the commodification of painting in the United States as compared to dance; briefly, on building a following for his own Company; Cunningham's opinion that dance should be shown on television more frequently, and why the public television stations backed away from showing dance; Vaughan speaks about current ballet companies performing the works of "avant garde" choreographers such as Cunningham, Lucinda Childs and Karole Armitage; Cunningham speaks about the differences between "modern dance's interest in movement and ballet's interest in ballet conventions"; Cunningham's opinion that ballet choreographers get hampered by style, with the exception of George Balanchine; they speak about ballet and steps; [ca. 18:05 recording ends and new recording begins abruptly]; Cunningham speaks about an unidentified performance that he attended; more on the Pollock movie; they speak about director Peter Greenaway's film on John Cage, [part of the Four American composers (1983), television mini-series] including its screenings at the Kitchen, New York; Cunningham speaks about the Four American composers film on Meredith Monk; Cunningham speaks about the documentary film Lillian Gish (1983) and his admiration of her; they briefly speak about Claudette Colbert; Cunningham speaks about receiving an award to be an Honorary Member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and names the other past award recipients; ends abruptly.
Alternative title
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.
Title provided by cataloger based on audition and handwritten notes on original cassette and container.
Handwritten notes on original cassette and container: "Interview with Merce Cunningham, 27 April 1984".
David Vaughan interviews Merce Cunningham, probably in New York, New York, on April 27, 1984. This interview was created as research for David Vaughan's book, Merce Cunningham: Fifty years (New York, Aperture).
Sound quality is mostly good; there are occasional background noises and at times the interviewee is slightly muffled.
Donor's inventory number: C377.
Access (note)
Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.
Source (note)
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation
Linking entry (note)
Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.
Author
Cunningham, Merce, interviewee.
Title
Interview with Merce Cunningham, 1984-04-27.
Production
April 27, 1984.
Playing time
002928
Type of content
spoken word
Type of medium
audio
Type of carrier
audiocassette
online resource
Digital file characteristics
audio file
Event
Recorded in, [New York, New York], 1984 April 27.
Restricted access
Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.