Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Butler, Ethel.
2. Banes, Sally.
3. Rosenberg, Douglas.
4. Rosen, Meriam.
5. Reinhart, Charles.
6. Reinhart, Stephanie.
7. American Dance Festival.
8. American Dance Festival Video (Firm)

Description

1. 1 videocassette (54 min.) : sd., col. NTSC; 1/2 in. (VHS)

Summary

1. In interviews interspersed with footage of her dance class, Ethel Butler looks back at her long career as dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She reminisces about Martha Graham, with whom she was associated as performer, teaching assistant, dresser, and confidante. She recalls her early years of studying and performing ; teaching at Bennington and Mills College ; touring with the Graham company ; surviving the Depression on a dancer's limited wages. She discusses Louis Horst's inspirational role in her life, and her assistance to him in producing his magazine Dance Observer. Anecdotes illustrate her friendly relationships (rare at the time) with dancers from rival camps: José Limón, Hanya Holm. Dance historian Sally Banes reads tributes to Butler from her former students Paul Taylor and Kenneth Rinker, and provides a summary of Butler's active career after her Graham years. Butler received the American Dance Festival's Balasaraswati/Joy Ann Dewey Beinecke Chair for Distinguished Teaching in 1995.

Series statement

1. Speaking of dance

Alternative title

1. Ethel Butler

Subject

1. Dance
2. Video
3. Taylor, Paul, 1930-2018
4. Dance teachers > United States > Interviews
5. Graham, Martha
6. Dance > Anecdotes
7. Dancers > United States > 20th century > Social conditions
8. Dancers > United States > Interviews
9. Dancers > United States > 20th century > Economic conditions
10. Mills College > Dance Dept
11. Butler, Ethel
12. Horst, Louis
13. Interviews
14. Martha Graham Dance Company
15. Modern dance > Technique > Graham
16. Holm, Hanya, 1893-1992
17. Limón, José
18. Rinker, Kenneth

Genre/Form

1. Dance.
2. Interviews.
3. Video.

Call number

1. *MGZIA 4-5888

Note

1. Series subtitle: Conversations with contemporary masters of American modern dance.

Credits (note)

1. Executive producers, Charles Reinhart and Stephanie Reinhart, American Dance Festival.

Performer (note)

1. Speakers: Ethel Butler, Sally Banes.

Title

1. Speaking of dance. Ethel Butler [videorecording] / American Dance Festival Video ; direction and camera by Douglas Rosenberg ; produced by Meriam Rosen and Douglas Rosenberg.

Imprint

1. Oregon, Wis. : American Dance Festival Video, c1995.

Country of producing entity

1. U.S.

Series

1. Speaking of dance

Credits

1. Executive producers, Charles Reinhart and Stephanie Reinhart, American Dance Festival.

Performer

1. Speakers: Ethel Butler, Sally Banes.

Local subject

1. Modern dance -- Technique -- Graham.
2. Dance -- Anecdotes.

Added author

1. Butler, Ethel. Interviewee. Speaker
2. Banes, Sally. Speaker
3. Rosenberg, Douglas. Producer. Director
4. Rosen, Meriam. Producer
5. Reinhart, Charles. Producer
6. Reinhart, Stephanie. Producer
7. American Dance Festival.
8. American Dance Festival Video (Firm)

Research call number

1. *MGZIA 4-5888