I just got an email from Nancy Reynolds (author of the invaluable "Repertory in Review") of the Balanchine Foundation announcing some upcoming events in her Interpreters Archive project. (This has been going on for several years. DanceView has covered most of the sessions, with most of the articles written by Leigh Witchel. Reynolds invites someone who created a major role in a Balanchine ballet, or, if this is not possible, someone very associated with the role. The interpreter chooses dancers to work with, and teaches them the work. Reynolds films the sessions, edits them and produces a tape which becomes part of the Interpreters Archive. These tapes are available in many university libraries, and anyone may view them.)

As you can probably tell, I am a very enthusiastic fan of this project. It's one way to insure that details of choreography don't get lost, it lets today's young dancers have a chance to work with interesting and important dancers of the past -- Leigh may want to post something of what he's observed.

Here's the schedule. You won't be able to watch the tapings, but you can check to see if a library near you has copies of this Archive.

Yvonne Mounsey coaching the Siren in LA Oct. 19, with dancers Melissa Barak (former student of Yvonne's) and Arsen Serobian
Mimi Paul coaching Emeralds with Sara Mearns and Jonathan Stafford in NYC Nov. 2
Mimi Paul coaching Valse Fantaisie with Megan Fairchild and Joaquin De Luz in NYC Nov. 3

Here's a link to the Archive's page where you can read more and get excited too

Video Archives

Thanks for sharing the excitement, Alexandra.

You are welcome, FF!

I've been perusing the Archives page (link in my post above) and the list of libraries is now HUGE! (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a link to the list of tapes, and another to the libraries which have copies. It's in dozens and dozens of libraries around the world. If you live near a major university, you will be able to view these tapes.

Do you have to be a dancer or dance student to be able to view these tapes?

Here is a stmt from the libraries page of the website Alexandra gave above:

"The Archive of Lost Choreography and Interpreters Archive video tapes are made available for a nominal fee to qualified research libraries, where they can be viewed on site on an unrestricted basis by all who are interested."

Check out that site for more info.

If your local library doesn't have the tapes ask them to do an interlibrary loan for you. This is how I've managed to see at least half of the archive videos.

This is just wonderful news! Even if you're not a dance student or teacher these tapes are worth their weight in gold. WATCH THEM if you are able to. The feeling I get while watching these is like admiring a painting by a master for many years and then a restorer comes along and lightly cleans the canvas, all of a sudden you notice colors and depths that were never there before and you fall in love all over again.

I think I said this a couple of years ago, but Leigh should arrange all of his archive articles into a book!