Research Catalog

Interview with Helgi Tomasson

Title
Interview with Helgi Tomasson, 1969.
Author
Helgi Tómasson, 1942-
Publication
1969.

Available Online

NYPL Digital Collections

Details

Additional Authors
Cohen, Selma Jeanne, 1920-2005
Found In
Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives
Description
Three streaming files (approximately one hour and 35 minutes) : digital
Summary
  • Streaming file 1 (approximately 31 minutes). Helgi Tomasson speaks with Selma Jeanne Cohen about the small size of the stage in dance venues as limiting technique; his training at the National Theater of Iceland and at the Royal Danish Ballet school; taking class on scholarship at the American School of Ballet; reminiscences of being teased as a boy because of his ballet dancing; the greater acceptance of male ballet dancers today; the advances in technique; reconciling the athleticism of ballet with its essential quality as an art; the Icelandic language; his son; the ballet competition in Moscow [the 1969 Moscow International Ballet Competition]; [ends abruptly].
  • Streaming file 2 (approximately 30 minutes). Helgi Tomasson speaks with Selma Jeanne Cohen about technique and partnering; the quality of weight or heaviness in a male dancer including the use of phrasing to achieve this; simplicity rather than mannerisms as a goal; more on the Moscow Competition including his impressions of his own performance and that of other dancers.
  • Streaming file 3 (approximately 34 minutes). Helgi Tomasson speaks with Selma Jeanne Cohen about Igor Youskevitch's opinion that typically Balanchine's choreography does not sufficiently contrast feminine and masculine dancing; his thoughts on [Birgit Cullberg's ballet] Miss Julie; his admiration for Erik Bruhn's ability to become someone else on stage; his musicality; his reliance on ad hoc motivations in dramatic roles; the cycle of school, dance classes, and work when he was a child in Iceland; the beauty of the Northern Lights.
Alternative Title
Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives Audio
Subjects
Genre/Form
  • Interviews.
  • Sound recordings.
Note
  • Interview with Helgi Tomasson conducted by Selma Jeanne Cohen on November 20, 1969 as the basis for an article entitled The male image in Dance Perspectives no. 40, published winter 1969.
  • Title supplied by cataloger.
  • Sound quality is fair to poor. There is extraneous noise including "tape hiss" and occasional short gaps. The speakers' voices are soft but usually intelligible.
Access (note)
  • Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
Funding (note)
  • The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division of The New York Public Library and 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.
Linking Entry (note)
  • Separated from the Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives (S)*MGZMD 56.
OCLC
906822473
Author
Helgi Tómasson, 1942- interviewee.
Title
Interview with Helgi Tomasson, 1969.
Imprint
1969.
Type of Content
spoken word
Type of Medium
audio
Type of Carrier
online resource
Digital File Characteristics
audio file
Restricted Access
Patrons may access streaming audio only on site at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
Event
Recorded by Selma Jeanne Cohen for an article in Dance Perspectives no. 40, entitled The male image, published winter 1969 November 20, 1969. New York (N.Y.)
Funding
The conservation and cataloging of this recording was made possible in part by the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation Division of The New York Public Library and 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 cassettes (approximately one hour and 35 minutes); polyester; quarter-track; transferred to wav file and streaming file formats in 2015.
Linking Entry
Separated from the Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives (S)*MGZMD 56.
Connect to:
NYPL Digital Collections
Added Author
Cohen, Selma Jeanne, 1920-2005, interviewer.
Added Title
Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives Audio
Found In:
Selma Jeanne Cohen Papers of Dance Perspectives
View in Legacy Catalog