Interview with Sonia Arova, 1978

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Title
Interview with Sonia Arova, 1978
Names
Arova, Sonia (Interviewee)
Gruen, John (Interviewer)
Collection

Dance Audio Archive

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1978-03-17 - 1978-03-18
Library locations
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZTCO 3-765
Topics
Nureyev, Rudolf, 1938-1993
Bruhn, Erik, 1928-1986
Lifar, Serge, 1905-1986
Arova, Sonia
Sutowski, Thor
Genres
Interviews
Notes
Content: Title supplied by cataloger.
Venue: Recorded by John Gruen 1978, March 17 and18 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.
Acquisition: Gift John Gruen
Physical Description
Audiocassette
Extent: 2 audiocassettes (approximately 3 hr., 8 min.) : quarter-track; 1.875 ips
Sound quality is good overall. The recording is marred by occasional extraneous noise and short gaps, and John Gruen's voice is often very soft on streaming audio file 3.
Description
Interview with Sonia Arova conducted by John Gruen on March 17 and 18, 1978, in New York (N.Y.), as part of the research for John Gruen's book, Erik Bruhn: danseur noble (Viking Press, New York, 1979). Streaming audio file 1, March 17, 1978 (approximately 47 minutes). John Gruen speaks very briefly about Sonia Arrova's long and close relationship with Erik Bruhn; Arova speaks with Gruen about the first time she saw Bruhn; her family background and early training with Olga Preobrajanska in Paris; meeting Serge Lifar and being selected to appear in the film Le mort de cygne; the outbreak of World War II and her escape to England; meeting Bruhn for the first time; dancing with him and watching him dance; returning to France when Bruhn returned to Denmark; working with Lifar and learning the repertory of the Paris Opera Ballet [Opéra de Paris Ballet]; dancing with the London Festival Ballet and the Marquis de Cuevas ballet [Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo]; coming to the United States to join Ballet Theatre [later American Ballet Theatre]; her relationship with Bruhn at this time; her time at Ballet Theatre including her roles in Giselle; reasons she ended her engagement to Bruhn [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 2]. Streaming audio file 2 (approximately 47 minutes). Sonia Arova continues to speak with John Gruen about Erik Bruhn and their relationship; her trip to Denmark including meeting Bruhn's family and watching class at the Royal Danish Ballet [Kongelige Danske ballet]; her reasons for leaving Ballet Theatre; her [first] marriage and separation; Rudolf Nureyev, including first meeting him, in Paris; the developing friendship among Bruhn, Nureyev, and Arova; dancing with Bruhn, Nureyev, and Rosella Hightower in Europe [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 3]. Streaming audio file 3, March 17 and 18, 1978 (approximately 47 minutes). Sonia Arova continues to speak with John Gruen about dancing with Bruhn and Nureyev including in the United States and Copenhagen; the death of Bruhn's mother; Bruhn's and Nureyev's relationship, including its emotional and artistic aspects [at approximately 34:20 minutes, the March 17 session ends, and the March 18 session begins]; Arova speaks with Gruen about dancing with Nureyev in his debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; dancing with Nureyev at the Royal Ballet in London; Bruhn's unhappiness in London [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 4]. Streaming audio file 4, March 18, 1978 (approximately 47 minutes). Sonia Arova continues to speak with John Gruen about Erik Bruhn and Rudolf Nureyev during their time in London; dancing with Nureyev in Chicago for Ruth Page; her time in Australia on tour with Bruhn; dancing with Bruhn for the television program, The Bell Telephone hour; Thor Sutowski; becoming director of the Norwegian National Ballet [Norske Opera Ballett]; her brief time as the director of the Hamburg Ballet [Hamburger Ballett]; moving to San Diego, California and becoming co-director with Sutowski of the San Diego Ballet; her illness and surgery in 1975; her feelings about Bruhn including their enduring friendship.
Type of Resource
Sound recording
Languages
English
Identifiers
RLIN/OCLC: 78033521
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12118597
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): b72ce2c0-7960-0136-ac67-01bce2238d96
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

  • 1978: Created (Approximate)
  • 2018: Digitized
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with Sonia Arova" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1978 - 1978. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/32e5ba80-c31a-0133-b070-60f81dd2b63c

Chicago/Turabian Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. "Interview with Sonia Arova" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/32e5ba80-c31a-0133-b070-60f81dd2b63c

APA Format

Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library. (1978 - 1978). Interview with Sonia Arova Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/32e5ba80-c31a-0133-b070-60f81dd2b63c

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/32e5ba80-c31a-0133-b070-60f81dd2b63c | title= (sound recording) Interview with Sonia Arova, (1978 - 1978)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=March 29, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Interview with Sonia Arova