Interview with Joan Levy Bernstein, May 1, 1978

Item data

Title

Interview with Joan Levy Bernstein, May 1, 1978

Collection

Dance Oral History Project

Names

Bernstein, Joan Levy (Interviewee)
Small, Linda (Interviewer)

Date / Origin

Date Created: 1978-05-01

Library Location

Jerome Robbins Dance Division
Shelf locator: *MGZT 5-350 (former)

Subjects

Bernstein, Joan Levy -- Interviews
Limón, José
Weidman, Charles
Lawrence, Pauline
Humphrey, Doris, 1895-1958. New dance
Humphrey, Doris, 1895-1958
Bennington College. Dance Division
Humphrey-Weidman Company
With my red fires (Choreographic work : Humphrey)

Genres

Oral Histories
Interviews

Notes

Bibliographic History: Title supplied by cataloger.
Source Characteristics: Sound quality is extremely poor. The recording is marred throughout by loud "tape hiss," and the speakers' voices are very low in volume, especially that of Linda Small, the interviewer. As a result much of the recording is barely intelligible. However, there is a transcript of the recording available, on site only, at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, cataloged under the call number: *MGZMT 5-350.
Venue: Recorded for The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts 1978, May 1, 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 Description

Extent: 1 audiotape reel (approximately 1 hr., 49 min.) : analog, 1.875 ips, half-track, polyester; 5 in.

Abstract

Streaming file no. 1 (approximately one hour and 37 minutes). Joan Levy Bernstein speaks about Doris Humphrey including how they first met; taking classes at Humphrey's school and being asked to join the understudy group; her memories of Jane Dudley as a fellow student in Ruth Doing's classes; becoming a member of the regular company [Humphrey-Weidman Company]; the company's first summer at Bennington College; teaching technique, at Bennington and the 92nd St. Y, including her memories of William Kolodny; touring with the company; more on her experience at Bennington College's summer dance program; her early training in dance and music; Humphrey as a person and as a choreographer working with dancers; Bernstein's first role, in The life of the bee; her memories of Humphrey as she appeared when Bernstein first saw her perform; Humphrey's work New dance; reconstructing Humphrey's work With my red fires; the influence of social awareness on dance in the 1930s; Humphrey in the role of the matriarch in With my red fires; Pauline Lawrence; leaving the company; teaching kindergarten, in particular her use of music and dance; her son and daughter; more on touring including various anecdotes; her family; seeing Isadora Duncan perform; Humphrey's work The Shakers; Charles Weidman's dance Atavisms. Streaming file no. 2 (approximately 11 minutes). Joan Levy Bernstein speaks with Linda Small about other members of the Humphrey-Weidman Company, including José Limón, Katherine Litz, Sybil Shearer, Katherine Manning, Letitia Ide, and Charles Weidman.

Languages

English

Identifiers

RLIN/OCLC: 81400890
NYPL Catalog ID (bnumber): b12118171
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 49698d40-315a-0132-b93a-3c075448cc4b

Rights

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.

Type Of Resource

Sound Recording

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