TitleInterview with Charles Payne, 1979
NamesPayne, Charles (Interviewee)Hunt-Nishi, Marilyn (Interviewer)
CollectionDance Oral History Project
Dates / OriginDate Created: 1979-01
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZTCO 3-566
TopicsRobbins, JeromeMarkova, Alicia, Dame, 1910-2004Smith, Oliver Lemuel, 1918-1994Tudor, Antony, 1908-1987De Mille, AgnesKriza, JohnAlonso, Alicia, 1921-Chase, Lucia, 1897-1986Payne, CharlesAmerican Ballet TheatreAmerican Ballet TheatreDance companies -- ManagementDance -- Economic aspects
GenresOral historiesInterviews
NotesAdditional physical form: For transcript of interview, see *MGZMT 3-566.Content: Interview with Charles Payne conducted by Marilyn Hunt on January 19, 22, and 23, for the Oral History Project of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The book by Payne referred to in the recording is American Ballet Theatre, 1978.Source characteristics: Sound quality is good to fair overall. At times, in particular on streaming audio files 6 and 7, the volume of the speakers' voices is low, and streaming audio file 7 is marred by "tape hiss."Bibliographic history: Title supplied by cataloger.Venue: Recorded by Marilyn Hunt 1979, January 19, 22, and 23 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: 4 audio cassettes (approximately 5 hr., 28 min.); quarter-track; 1.875 ips
DescriptionStreaming audio file 1, January 19, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about his background including how he became involved with Ballet Theatre [later American Ballet Theatre]; his first impression of Lucia Chase; his years at Ballet Theatre including on tour; his impressions of Charles Pleasant; Mikhail Mordkin; Michel and Vera Fokine; and Anton Dolin; observations regarding the position of artistic director and Ballet Theatre's three-wing structure [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 2].
Streaming audio file 2, January 19, 1979 (approximately 47 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about Eugene Loring including his comment on Payne's book [American Ballet Theatre, 1978]; Alicia Markova including several anecdotes; German Sevastianov; Sol Hurok, including his abandoning as it were of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo for Ballet Theatre; choreographers at Ballet Theatre including Leonide Massine and Bronislava Nijinska; J. Alden Talbot [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 3].
Streaming audio file 3, January 19 and 22, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about J. Alden Talbot; the transformation of Ballet Theatre into an ongoing company; George Balanchine and Vera Zorina at Ballet Theatre; Lincoln Kirstein, Balanchine, and the negotiations regarding a joint relationship with Ballet Theatre; Ballet Theatre's complicated history with Balanchine's ballet Apollo [end of January 19 session and beginning of January 22 session]; Payne speaks about Leonide Massine as a choreographer for Ballet Theatre; Lucia Chase including her personal life and as director; Oliver Smith including his and Chase's respective responsibilities; Donald M. Kendall and corporate support of the company [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 4].
Streaming audio file 4, January 22, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about Antony Tudor and his respective relationships with Ballet Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera; Nora Kaye; Agnes de Mille; thoughts on the management of the company; Jerome Robbins including a rehearsal anecdote [ends abruptly but continues on streaming audio file 5].
Streaming audio file 5, January 22, 1979 (approximately 48 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about Jerome Robbins including as a dancer in Petrouchka; economic aspects of hiring choreographers and producing their ballets including works by Robbins, Antony Tudor, and Agnes de Mille; John Kriza; Alicia Alonso [ends abruptly].
Streaming audio file 6, January 23, 1979 (approximately 47 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about how a dancer's billing was determined; venues including City Center [of Music and Drama (New York, N. Y.)] and the Metropolitan Opera; tours including London in 1946, Europe in 1950, and the former Soviet Union in 1960; Rudolf Nureyev [ends abruptly].
Streaming audio file 7, January 23, 1979 (approximately 43 minutes). Charles Payne speaks with Marilyn Hunt about Erik Bruhn and his idea for a school; Eliot Feld and his relationship with Ballet Theatre; Natalia Makarova; Mikhail Baryshnikov; the senior management of the company including Sherwin Goldman and his reasons for leaving the company; Donald M. Kendall and other past presidents; changes in the Board of Directors and how this has affected Lucia Chase's position; the life of the dancers at the company today compared with the past.
Type of ResourceSound recording
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: 78974896NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12118369Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 4de6ba30-78be-0136-8166-33a43a516623
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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