The uncompromising world of jerome robbins arts and. Give me something to dance about and ill dance it, he once told irving berlin. To watch his musical theater work is still breathtaking and exposes how really terrible choreographers are today and how they dont understand that dance should come from character west side story still thrills all these years later, his gypsy staging and choreographer will never be bettered, his. Its a rare treat when new york city ballet dancers take the northrop stage. Robbins established the archive of the moving image in the dance division of the new york public library for the performing arts by gifting, in perpetuity, a share of his royalties from fiddler on the roof. Robbins was first known for his skillful use of contemporary american themes in ballets and broadway and hollywood musicals. As this film shows, in the theater and in dance, he did that over and over again. Take it easy, baby, at 100 our chief dance critic on this great theater maker and his particularly american style of ballet, which weeded out artifice and. West side story 1957, fiddler on the roof 1964, and dances at a gathering 1969.
That broadway man, that ballet man juicy stories abound in greg lawrences dishy biography, which conveys at voluminous length in. In the early 1940s, when young jerome robbins was a dancer in a newly founded company, ballet theatre, he already had ambitions to be a choreographer, and he finally presented a scenario that. Something to dance about 2009 starring jerome robbins and mikhail baryshnikov on dvd and bluray. May 01, 2018 the new piece, something to dance about, made up of extracts from nine robbins musicals, will have its premiere at city ballets spring gala on thursday as part of the companys. Koch theater lincoln center new york, new york may 3, 2018 spring gala. Starting his career as a modern dancer, he began to appreciate the technique involved in ballet, the two which he merged in his choreography, especially in musical theater. Jerome robbins had the touch of genius and it is evident in everything he did.
His uncompromising insistence for detail led him to be both revered and feared. Something to dance about premiere broadcast january 2009 has just been honored with a prestigious peabody award. Jonathan blanc, courtesy nypl for the performing arts. Vaudeville and burlesque dancers 9 graphic names bert, a. Jerome robbins was a great admirer of the russian stars natalia makarova and mikhail baryshnikov, who each famously defected and made new careers in america. Something to dance about features excerpts from his personal journals, archival performance footage, neverbeforeseen rehearsal recordings, as well as interviews with robbins himself and over forty of his colleagues among them mikhail baryshnikov, jacques damboise, suzanne farrell, arthur laurents, peter martins, rita.
Among his numerous stage productions he worked on were on the town, peter pan, high button shoes, the king and i, the pajama game, bells are ringing, west side story. It is about jerome robbins, a preeminent director and dance choreographer of american musical theatre. This peabody awardwinning documentary paints an intimate portrait of acclaimed choreographer jerome robbins, equally accomplished in ballet and on broadway. Practical advice from twyla tharp and annieb parson. Bringing jerome robbinss broadway home to city ballet the. Jerome robbins october 11, 1918 july 29, 1998 was an american choreographer, director, dancer, and theater producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Take it easy, baby, at 100 our chief dance critic on this great theater maker and his particularly american style. Enticing biographical entries featuring writing by jerome robbins and mark morris. Apr 10, 2020 an archivist at work at the jerome robbins dance division of the new york public library for the performing arts. Jerome robbins choreography broadway musicals new york city ballet 19181998 jerome robbins was a prolific american choreographer. Jerome robbins, direction and musical staging by warren carlyle designer. Jerome robbins has influenced the commercial dance sector massively with his productions such as west side story still being recreated and performed to this day.
Examines the life of the controversial master of the broadway musical and ballet choreographer jerome robbins. Although raised in washington dc, his music career actually started while living and djing in londons burgeoning dance scene of the 1990s. Shot on location in new york city and starring an ensemble cast of new york city ballet dancers, ny export. Opus jazz the first film conceived, created and danced by dancers from the new york city ballet.
Jerome robbins established the foundation in 1958, in honor of his mother, with the intent to support dance, theater, and their associative arts. She will dance in jerome robbins in the night and george balanchines sonatine. His artistic dexterity provided him with a career in both musical theatre and ballet. The jerome robbins dance division is proud to announce that the merce cunningham dance foundation inc, records, additions is now open. Kirkland and baryshnikov dance jerome robbins 1978 by ondine217. Gorgeous coffee table books and distillations of academic research. Something to dance about 2009 directed by judy kinberg. Fiftythree years ago this month, the curtain went up on fancy free, the first ballet by a twentyfiveyearold dancer from new york named jerome robbins. Jerome robbins robbins at work american masters pbs. Jerome robbins, original surname rabinowitz, born oct. What archivists want you to know about preserving your records. At a time when classical dance in america was still dominated by foreignborn performers.
Jerome rabinowitz lifechanging revelations camp tamiment ballet theatre fancy free on the town the playful side and the darker side love and loss autobiographical material broadways rising star balanchine and the new york city ballet the king and i the house unamerican. Jerome robbins dance division and archive of the recorded. Jan 28, 2009 the producerdirector discusses her latest film, american masters jerome robbins. Something to dance abouta oneact compilation that references robbins greatest work from on the town to west side storypremieres at the new york city ballets spring gala may 3.
To watch his musical theater work is still breathtaking and exposes how really terrible choreographers are today and how they dont understand that dance should come from character west side story still thrills all these years later, his gypsy staging and choreographer will never be bettered, his fiddler staging. Something to dance about, the film was directed and produced by emmy awardwinning filmmaker judy kinberg and penned by robbins biographer amanda vaill. Jerome robbins was one of the 20th centurys most popular ballet and broadway musical choreographers, known for gems like west side story and fiddler on the roof. Jerome robbins, direction and musical staging by warren carlyle music by. Tribute to jerome robbins the four seasons, circus polka, easy peck world premiere, a suite of dances, something to dance about carlyle world premiere jerry hochman more than any other choreographer of his time, jerome. With ib andersen, william archibald, fred astaire, mikhail baryshnikov. Watching the development of robbins career and the arc of his life is like watching the creation of one of his major pieces. Something to dance about features excerpts from his personal journals, archival performance footage, neverbeforeseen rehearsal recordings, as well as interviews with robbins himself and over forty of his colleaguesamong them mikhail baryshnikov, jacques damboise, suzanne farrell, arthur laurents, peter martins, rita. Among his numerous stage productions were on the town, peter pan, high button shoes, the king and i, the pajama game, bells are ringing, west side story. Born jerome wilson rabinowitz, jerome robbins was a dancer and choreographer. The cage plunges into the world of natural selection, using stravinskys daring score to depict the feral instinct compelling the female of an insect species to consider its male counterpart as prey stravinsky composed his concerto in d for string orchestra in 1946, as a commission for the 20th anniversary of the basler orchestra.
More often than not, his efforts resulted in landmarks of american dance. Jerome robbins 100 is a centennial celebration of timeless choreography robbins directed and choreographed many of broadways biggest hit musicals, including west side story. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, ballet companies across the country are performing his. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing american masters. Among his numerous stage productions were on the town, peter pan, high button shoes, the king and i, the pajama game, bells are ringing, west side story, gypsy, and fiddler on the roof. Jerome robbins, choreographer of west side story, transformed the broadway musical with his distinctively american style of dance. Featuring excerpts from robbins personal journals as well as neverbeforeseen rehearsal footage and personal interviews with robbins as well as dancers and collaborators including jacques damboise, suzanne farrell, peter martins, mikhail baryshnikov, stephen sondheim, and fiddler on the roof collaborators jerry bock, sheldon harnick, and.
Dances like the elegantly rumbling teenagers in west side story are the legacy of. Something to dance about, premiering february 18, 2009 on pbs check local listings. Despite his professional successes, robbins most important legacy was the humanity of his art. Bringing jerome robbinss broadway home to city ballet. Something to dance about, a documentary that follows the man pbs says was a master of the broadway musical who was one of. In 1989, jerome robbins s broadway won six tony awards including best musical and best director. As a dancer, and later as a choreographer and director, the legendary jerome robbins 19181998 worked to combine the high art of ballet with the commercial art of the broadway musical. Something to dance about, which premieres wednesday, february 18, 2009 at 9 p. Jerome robbins something to dance abouts peabody win. Thirteenwnets american masters profiles this complex midcentury artist in jerome robbins. What archivists want you to know about preserving your. Something to dance about 2009 directed by judy kinberg distributed by wnet pbs.
Enter city, state or zip code go fandango fanalert. I do not own any of the clips in these videos except the ones i am in. No other creative figure of the latter twentieth century was as contradictory as jerome robbins, and few were as controversial. He made an indelible mark on the history of the musical and american ballet.
Jerome robbins, like all theater people, lived in two worlds. Opus jazz takes jerome robbins 1958 ballet in sneakers and reimagines it for a new generation in this scripted adaptation. How the dance world is celebrating jerome robbins 100th. In anticipation of new york city ballet moves mixed repertory performance oct 28, we asked principal dancer abi stafford about life with nycb. Mar 11, 2010 premiered in 1944, jerome robbinss first ballet fancy free launched his career as one of the most celebrated american choreographers in history. The peers and colleagues didnt care if he was gay but did care if he betrayed other theater people. Jerome robbins october 11, 1918 july 29, 1998 was an american choreographer, director, dancer, and theater producer who worked in classical ballet, on broadway, and in films and television.
Jan 11, 2018 from the overthetop antics of fancy free to the stylized realism of west side story, the discomfiting world of the cage to the poignant humanity of dances at a gathering, the work of jerome robbins redefined what american dance could be. Something to dance about is the first fulllength documentary about the man who choreographed west side story, fiddler on a. He began his dance career in the late 1930s when he performed as a dancer in broadway shows. Hear about the man and his work from the dancers, directors, and. May 03, 2018 jerome robbins 100 is a centennial celebration of timeless choreography robbins directed and choreographed many of broadways biggest hit musicals, including west side story. Biography examines prolific career of choreographer behind. Jan 29, 2009 in these interview out takes, jerome robbins s friends and colleagues austin pendleton, charlotte damboise, and jerry mitchell describe the master at work. Something to dance about is by judy kinberg and written by bestselling robbins biographer amanda vaill. There are a number of new dance titles hitting bookstores this fall, and there seems to be something for everyone.
Jerome robbins 100 is a centennial celebration of timeless. In 1999, the division was renamed the jerome robbins dance division in his memory. His innovative attitude to choreography is still timeless and so are his pieces. Jerome robbins essay molly southall commercial dance.
Share jerome robbins quotations about giving and dancing. New york city ballet portal backdrop choreographer. This select group of performers from new york city ballets outstanding roster of principal dancers. Kansas city library locations jerome robbins dance division shelf locator.
Jerome robbins nycb new york city ballet official site. Something to dance about is the first fulllength documentary about the man who choreographed west side story, fiddler on a roof, the king and i, gypsy and on the town. With famous song and dance selections drawn from nine landmark broadway musicals, warren carlyles something to dance about jerome robbins, broadway at the ballet shows the depth of robbins influence on dance warren carlyles firstever work for a ballet company, something to dance about, pays tribute to the legendary broadway career of jerome robbins in robbins. Seldom have biography and choreography, personality and performance, idea and ideology been so thrillingly interwoven. The new piece, something to dance about, made up of extracts from nine robbins musicals, will have its premiere at city ballets spring.