About Digital Collections
Browse
Search only public domain materials
Search Browse About
Search only public domain materials
Items Collections Divisions
Digital Collections Using Images Using Data
Items Interview with David Wood, 1979

Interview with David Wood, 1979

More Details Cite This Item

Library division & collection with this item:

LIBRARY DIVISION
Jerome Robbins Dance Division

  • Choregraphie
  • A long minuet as danced at Bath
  • Sketchbook
  • Sarah Bernhardt's farewell American tour
  • Scrapbook documenting the appearances of dancer Alice Eis and her partner Bert French
  • The dance score
  • Traité élémentaire, théorique et pratique de l'art de la danse
  • Sketchbook
  • Coreografie per ballabili d'opera
  • Caricature of Sergeĭ Dyagilev
  • La sténochorégraphie
  • Ehon Tsūhōshi
  • Le maître a danser
  • America
  • Costume designs for the ballet La Pastorella Svizzera
Previous Next

COLLECTION
Dance Oral History Project

This Item

View this item elsewhere:

Title
Interview with David Wood, 1979
Names
Wood, David, 1925-2002 (Interviewee)
Oswald, Genevieve (Interviewer)
Collection

Dance Oral History Project

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1979-07-27
Library locations
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZTO 5-977
Topics
Graham, Martha
Wood, David, 1925-2002
Martha Graham Dance Company
Clytemnestra (Choreographic work : Graham)
Primitive mysteries (Choreographic work : Graham)
Genres
Oral histories
Interviews
Notes
Additional physical form: For transcript of interview see: *MGZMT 5-977.
Content: Interview with David Wood conducted by Genevieve Oswald on July 27, 1979 for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, in New York (N.Y.).
Source characteristics: Sound quality is good overall.
Bibliographic history: Title supplied by cataloger.
Venue: Recorded by Genevieve Oswald for the Oral History Project July 27, 1979 New York (N.Y.)
Funding: The processing and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The support of the National Endowment for the Arts is also gratefully acknowledged.
Physical Description
Audiotape reel
Extent: 1 audiotape reel (approximately 1 hr., 37 min.) ; polyester half-track; 1.875 ips; 5 in.
Description
Streaming audio file 1 (approximately 52 minutes). [Fragmentary conversation; interview begins at approximately 1:24 minutes.] David Wood speaks with Genevieve Oswald about Martha Graham and her approach to rehearsals [of the Martha Graham Dance Company]; Wood's experience learning Graham's work Diversion of angels from other Graham dancers; Graham's constant revisions at rehearsals; Graham's frequent absence from scheduled rehearsals including possible reasons for this behavior; working with Graham in his role as director of rehearsals; Graham's core identity as a performer and her determination to continue performing even as she aged; works of which Graham was especially proud, in particular, Clytemnestra; other examples including Letter to the world, Deaths and entrances, Hérodiade, and Errand into the maze; her work Acrobats of God; working with Graham to create Wood's role in Clytemnestra including the costume [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 2]. Streaming audio file 2 (approximately 45 minutes). David Wood speaks with Genevieve Oswald about creating his role in Clytemnestra; Graham technique including its evolution over the years; his relationship with Graham; Graham's approach to creating male roles; the nature of the female roles in her works; her technique as equally suitable for men and women; his views on whether her works should be preserved; an anecdote about Graham's releasing dogs to disrupt a rehearsal of Diversion of angels; Graham's antipathy toward revivals of her work; Wood's reconstructing of Primitive mysteries and El penitente including Graham's reluctance to participate in the process; more on his views regarding whether Graham's works should be revived without Graham in them.
Type of Resource
Sound recording
Languages
English
Identifiers
RLIN/OCLC: 82126034
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12118835
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): e788e580-822d-0136-94c5-0e51cc241f2c
Rights Statement
The copyright and related rights status of this item has been reviewed by The New York Public Library, but we were unable to make a conclusive determination as to the copyright status of the item. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.

Item timeline of events

  • 1925: Creator Born
  • 1979: Created
  • 2002: Creator Died
  • 2019: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with David Wood, 1979" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1979. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/38fb2780-3ba4-0134-a380-60f81dd2b63c

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with David Wood, 1979" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/38fb2780-3ba4-0134-a380-60f81dd2b63c

APA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (1979). Interview with David Wood, 1979 Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/38fb2780-3ba4-0134-a380-60f81dd2b63c

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/38fb2780-3ba4-0134-a380-60f81dd2b63c | title= (sound recording) Interview with David Wood, 1979, (1979)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=May 1, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Interview with David Wood, 1979