Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Maria Swoboda. June 22 and 29, 1976, 1976.

Author

Swoboda, Maria Yurieva

Publication

1976

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Kramer, Joan

Description

2 sound discs (approximately one hour and 34 minutes) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (approximately 49 minutes), June 22, 1976. Maria Swoboda speaks with Joan Kramer about her family background and early ballet training in Russia; her admission at age 15 to the Boshoi Theater ballet including an anecdote about her [future] husband [Vecheslav] Swoboda; fleeing Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution; her strengths as a dancer; dancing with concert groups while traveling through Europe; her husband, Vecheslav Swoboda; (briefly) Yekaterina Geltzer; touring with Swoboda; the circumstances of their move to the United States including their initial engagements arranged by Sol Hurok; Olga Preobrajenska; opening their school; her husband, including as a dancer; more on their touring including their repertoire; her feelings about returning to Europe for a visit.
• Disc 2 (approximately 45 minutes). June 29, 1976. Maria Swoboda speaks with Joan Kramer about her life while she was at the Bolshoi; more on her performances in Europe; their school [the Swoboda School of Ballet] in particular, its association with the Ballet Russe [de Monte Carlo] and Sergei Denham; teaching; choreographing; her career after the dissolution of the Ballet Russe including her school in New Jersey; her current involvement with the Monmouth Civic Ballet company; student productions; her reluctance to give private lessons; her thoughts on ballet dancers and choreographers in the United States today; Leonide Massine, in particular his recruiting of her students for the Ballet Russe; her admiration for John Cranko's ballet Onegin; her second husband [Nicholas Nedbal]; her hopes regarding the future of ballet training in the United States; her admiration for Balanchine.

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subjects

• Swoboda, Maria Yurieva
• Dance teachers
• Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
• Audiotapes > Swoboda, M
• Swoboda School of Ballet

Note

• Interview with Maria Yurieva Swoboda conducted by Joan Kramer on June 22 and 29, 1976 at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts for the Jerome Robbins Dance Division's Oral History Project. Her student, Denis Seetoo [phonetic spelling] is present and occasionally adds a comment.
• Title supplied by cataloger.
• Sound quality is good overall. The recording is marred by mild "tape hiss". However, the speakers' voices are easily intelligible.

Funding (note)

• 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.

Call Number

*MGZTL 4-349

OCLC

78278297

Author

Swoboda, Maria Yurieva, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Maria Swoboda. June 22 and 29, 1976, 1976.

Production

1976

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Event

Recorded by Joan Kramer 1976, June 22 and 29 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.

Original Version

Original format: one sound reel (approximately one hour and 34 minutes); 5 inches; polyester, half-track; 1 7/8 ips.; transferred to wav file and compact disc formats in 2013.

Local Note

For transcript of interview: see *MGZMT 5-349

Former classmark: *MGZT 5-349

Connect to:

Request Access to Dance Division Audio and Moving Image material

Added Author

Kramer, Joan, interviewer.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-349