TitleInterview with Dr. Glory Van Scott
NamesVan Scott, Glory (Interviewee)DeFrantz, Thomas (Interviewer)Caines, Christopher (Videographer)George Balanchine Foundation (Presenter)
CollectionPopular Balanchine
Dates / OriginDate Created: 2001-09-27
Table of ContentsDisc 1 (42 min.). Dr. Glory Van Scott discusses performing in House of Flowers; a close-up look at the poster for the production; Van Scott talks about getting lost on her way to this interview; her personal dance history growing up in Chicago, studying the arts, moving to New York and how she decided to begin dancing at the Katherine Dunham School; dancing with Talley Beatty; hearing about and auditioning for House of flowers with Balanchine, the call back process with George Balanchine asking her to lead one of the groups, and getting picked for the show; the experience of being in a show and traveling as a young dancer; meeting Cicely Tyson and working with her acting coach; Van Scott's career after House of Flowers; Balanchine asking her at dinner to consider just being a dancer and to give up acting and singing; auditioning for House of flowers, learning ballet, jazz/modern and ethnic dance combinations and being asked to perform a solo improvisation; the rehearsal process with Balanchine and musical director Jerry Arlen; about the musical director Jerry Arlen; the difficulties caused by the creative team for Kwamina; Peter Brook (director) and Truman Capote (book and lyrics) attending rehearsals; meeting Pearl Bailey's friend Marlene Dietrich; conductor adding bars instead of deleting and therefore needing to improvise for 64 bars; talks about several numbers including Waitin' (flower scene) and Bamboo cage; and then listening to music from Bamboo cage. |||| Disc 2 (ca. 22 min.). Discussion of the Turtle character in production; Van Scott singing a snippet of the Madame Tango's Tango number which was never recorded; talking about the Slide boy slide number which Herbert Ross added after he replaced Balanchine; the addition of choreography and numbers during the tryouts in Philadelphia; rehearsing after the show; the transition between George Balanchine and Herbert Ross; Van Scott's favorite parts of the show; how she kept the show fresh after multiple performances; how close the cast remains today; playing of additional music with Van Scott singing along and describing the scenes; she tells how her characters name was Cigarette girl and she refused to smoke; having dinner with Balanchine and Arthur Mitchell, and Mitchell telling Balanchine he was leaving the company to start his own black ballet company; the last time she saw Balanchine on the street; and how House of flowers was the most exhilarating and incredible experience in her life.
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZIDVD 5-7304
TopicsBalanchine, GeorgeVan Scott, GloryRoss, Herbert, 1927-2001Beatty, TalleyArlen, JerryMitchell, Arthur, 1934-George Balanchine FoundationArlen, Harold, 1905-1986. House of flowers
GenresInterviews
NotesContent: This interview was created for the Popular Balanchine Collection.Content: This interview relates to the Popular Balancine dossiers (Boxes 36-37. House of Flowers) (1954) [Dance Division call number: *MGZMD 146, boxes 37-38, House of flowers], compiled by Thomas DeFrantz. Inventory, background materials (photocopies of print sources and one original symposium program), programs (photocopies and one original souvenir program), notices and reviews, photocopies of photographs, and transcripts of interviews with Louis Johnson, Mary Louise, Mary Mon Toy, Walter Nicks, Margot Small, and Glory Van Scott. Also includes photocopy of original working script, photocopies of music selections, and sheet music of Vocal selections from the Off-Broadway musical, House of Flowers.Venue: Videotaped during an interview at the Balanchine Foundation, New York, N.Y., on Sept. 27, 2001.Acquisition: Gift; George Balanchine Foundation. NN-PD
Physical DescriptionVideocassetteExtent: 2 videocassettes (DVCam) (64 min.) : sound, color ; 1/4 in.
Type of ResourceMoving image
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersNYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19683012Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): c5f1e000-f746-0130-bbe6-3c075448cc4b
Rights StatementThe 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.
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