Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Twyla Tharp. April 25 and October 9, 1975.

Author

Tharp, Twyla

Publication

1975

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Tobias, Tobi

Description

4 sound discs (approximately two hours and 56 minutes) : digital; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

• Disc 1 (approximately 40 minutes), April 25, 1975. Twyla Tharp speaks with Tobi Tobias about her time as a student at Barnard College; Paul Taylor's company; films of her dances including their use in reconstructing her work; dancers in her company [Twyla Tharp and Dancers]; discussion of topics that are or are not appropriate for this oral history interview; performance spaces including the effect of unconventional spaces on the audience; television as a performance space; her use of film in rehearsal [ends abruptly but continues on disc 2].
• Disc 2 (approximately 38 minutes). April 25, 1975. Twyla Tharp speaks with Tobi Tobias about working with Robert Joffrey and the City Center Joffrey Ballet [now The Joffrey Ballet], in particular creating Deuce coupe and Deuce coupe II; Pamela Nearhoof; what constitutes a classical ballet dancer and how she defines classicism; George Balanchine's Agon as the pivotal ballet of the twentieth century; her work As time goes by; the relationship between simplicity and classicism; her attitude toward publicity; her thoughts on being asked to choreograph for American Ballet Theatre; the Joffrey Ballet audience.
• Disc 3 (approximately 48 minutes). October 9, 1975. Twyla Tharp speaks with Tobi Tobias about recent and current projects; Mikhail Baryshnikov including choreographing a work for him [Push comes to shove]; reasons she accepted the commission to choreograph for ABT [American Ballet Theatre]; her thoughts on improvisation; choreographing for American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet; her feelings about ballet; her company's upcoming performances at BAM [Brooklyn Academy of Music]; how she feels about reconstructing her works [ends abruptly but continues on disc 4].
• Disc 4 (approximately 50 minutes). October 9, 1975. Twyla Tharp speaks with Tobi Tobias about the choreographic process; reflections on several of her works; working with male dancers compared with female dancers; [Tobias speaks about American Ballet Theatre; being a dance critic]; various aspects of partnering; discussion of Baryshnikov; working with the dancers at American Ballet Theatre [ends abruptly].

Alternative Title

Dance Oral History Project.

Subjects

• As time goes by (Choreographic work : Tharp)
• Tharp, Twyla
• Joffrey Ballet
• Deuce coupe (Choreographic work : Tharp)
• Baryshnikov, Mikhail, 1948-
• Push comes to shove (Choreographic work : Tharp)
• Deuce coupe II (Choreographic work : Tharp)
• American Ballet Theatre
• Audiotapes > Tharp, T

Note

• Interview with Twyla Tharp conducted by Tobi Tobias on April 25 and October 9, 1975 in New York City for the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Jerome Robbins Dance Division's Oral History Project.
• Title supplied by cataloger.
• Sound quality is good overall. The recording is marred by extraneous noise including significant and continuous "tape hiss" as well as occasional short gaps. However, the speakers' voices are easily intelligible.

Access (note)

• Closed.

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 4-413

OCLC

80313348

Author

Tharp, Twyla, interviewee.

Title

Interview with Twyla Tharp. April 25 and October 9, 1975.

Production

1975

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audio disc

Access

Closed.

Event

Recorded by Tobi Tobias 1975, April 25 and October 9 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: two sound reels (approximately two hours and 56 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 5-413.

Former classmark: *MGZT 5-413

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Added Author

Tobias, Tobi, interviewer.

Research Call Number

*MGZTL 4-413