TitleInterview with Roman Jasinski, 1976
NamesJasinski, Roman, 1912-1991 (Interviewee)Hering, Doris (Interviewer)
CollectionDance Oral History Project
Dates / OriginDate Created: 1976
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZTCO 3-593
TopicsRubinstein, Ida, 1885?-1960Nijinska, Bronislava, 1891-1972Toumanova, Tamara, 1919-1996Spessivtzeva, Olga, 1895-1991Markova, Alicia, Dame, 1910-2004Basil, W. deLifar, Serge, 1905-1986Lichine, DavidBalanchine, GeorgeJasinski, Roman, 1912-1991 -- InterviewsLarkin, MoscelyneJasinski, Roman L., 1954-James, Edward, 1907-1984Ballet Russe de Monte CarloTulsa BalletBallets russes de Monte CarloErrante (Choreographic work : Balanchine)
GenresOral historiesInterviews
NotesAdditional physical form: For transcript of interview, see *MGZMT 3-593.Content: Interview with Roman Jasinski conducted by Doris Hering in Williamstown (Mass.) and in New York (N.Y.) in 1976 for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.Source characteristics: Sound quality is good. The recording is marred by numerous short gaps.Bibliographic history: Title supplied by cataloger.Venue: Recorded by Doris Hering for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts 1976 Williamstown (Mass.) and New York (N.Y.)Funding: The conservation 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 DescriptionAudiocassetteExtent: 3 audio cassettes (approximately 4 hr., 42 min.); quarter-track; 1.875 ips
DescriptionStreaming audio file 1, Williamstown (Mass.); (approximately 48 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about the Tulsa Civic Ballet [originally Tulsa Ballet Theatre; now Tulsa Ballet]; partnering in the Rose adagio of The sleeping beauty; his early training; the difficulty of recruiting boys for ballet training in the United States; his family background; his recent visit to his former school and the theater in Warsaw, Poland; the training he received compared with the training in the United States today; dancing for Ida Rubinstein's company; Ida Rubinstein as a dancer; Bronislava Nijinska and her choreography [ends abruptly but continues on streaming file 2].
Streaming audio file 2, Williamstown (Mass.); (approximately 48 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about his various engagements following the dissolution of Ida Rubinstein's company; dancing for the Ballets russes de Monte Carlo; following George Balanchine to Les ballets 1933; Tamara Toumanova as a partner; Balanchine including his calm manner and patience at rehearsals; Boris Kochno; coaching including his experience with his son [Roman L. Jasinski] and other dancers in the United States; Balanchine's ballet The seven deadly sins; Balanchine as a choreographer; Jasinki's first choreography, a pas de deux with Sono Osato; working for Nijinska; Olga Spessivtzeva including a performance anecdote; the English audience; Colonel de Basil [Wassili de Basil]; more on the Ballets russes de Monte Carlo and Balanchine; more on Les ballets 1933 including Balanchine's ballet Errante; his own choreography [ends abruptly but continues on streaming file 3].
Streaming audio file 3 (approximately 48 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about the repertoire for the upcoming season of the Tulsa Civic Ballet; more on Colonel de Basil; more on the Ballets russes de Monte Carlo including the company members; Michel Fokine's ballet Les sylphides including Fokine's praise of Jasinki's dancing of the mazurka; Alexandra Danilova as a partner; Irina Baronova; his preference for dramatic roles; David Lichine's ballet Prodigal son; Lichine as a choreographer; more on Fokine; his approach to the role of Albrecht [in Giselle]; his favorite roles including in Lifar's Prométée [Creatures of Prometheus]; joining the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo; Sergei Denham; the life of a ballet dancer at the time including the rigors of touring; an anecdote about Leonide Massine [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 4].
Streaming audio file 4 (approximately 48 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about Leonide Massine's ballet Union Pacific [Union Pacific; or The golden spike]; dancers' compensation at the time; his wife, Moscelyne Larkin; Alicia Markova including as a partner; reasons he enjoys the role of Prince Siegfried; Nana Gollner as a dancer; Anatole Oboukhoff as a teacher; Balanchine as a teacher including elements he has introduced since Jasinski took his classes; the style of Balanchine's port de bras; Lincoln Kirstein's first meeting with Balanchine, at a performance of Les Ballets 1933; Edward James' falling out with Balanchine and the dissolution of Les Ballets 1933; joining Serge Lifar's small company for a United States tour; an anecdote about Kyra Nijinsky; Felia Doubrovska as a dancer; Pierre Vladimiroff; Lifar as a dancer [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 5].
Streaming audio file 5, New York (N.Y.); (approximately 48 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about Serge Lifar as a dancer; briefly, Lincoln Kirstein; rejoining Ballets russes de Monte Carlo; Sergei Denham's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, including the reasons he left the de Basil company, in 1947; Tamara Toumanova and her mother's influence on her dancing; Irina Baronova and marriage and ballet; the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's concert company including his responsibilities as manager; Nathalie Krassovska as a partner; his impression of Fernando Bujones; touring with Tamara Toumanova; the Great Moments in Ballet tour [presented by Sol Hurok]; the birth of his son and his decision to stop performing; the school in Tulsa, Oklahoma [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 6].
Streaming audio file 6, New York (N.Y.); (approximately 42 minutes). Roman Jasinski speaks with Doris Hering about the Tulsa Civic Ballet; his son, Roman L. Jasinski and his dancing; the marked progress that ballet and the teaching of ballet has made in the United States; working with his wife, Moscelyne Larkin; the happiness that ballet has brought him throughout his life; his admiration for Balanchine's choreography including his new ballet, Union Jack.
Type of ResourceSound recording
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: 82176683NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12118416Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 31343af0-78be-0136-45c8-5b59e3dae530
Rights StatementThe New York Public Library holds or manages the copyright(s) in this item. If you need information about reusing this item, please go to: http://nypl.org/permissions
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