- Additional Authors
- Description
- 2 streaming video files (99 min.) : sound, color.
- Summary
- Reel 1 begins with Pearl Primus reading her poem, Jim Crow Train; she discusses what dance has meant to her and how it helps people to understand each other; her childhood in Trinidad; African American and African contrasts; her African dreams emerging into dances; her first performance in African Ceremonial in 1943; the importance of obtaining a Doctorate in order to gain respect and proving that dance is a language for the NYU degree; how she started as a seamstress for the New Dance Group and her first performance with them as a dancer at the World's Fair with Joe Nash as her partner; the critic John Martin declaring Primus a star in 1944; her mentors Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson teaching her and giving her advice; the persistence of Billy Holiday's comments at her performances; talking about various photographs of drums and performance shots of Primus; Jane Dudley donating a costume to her; the movement for Langston Hughes' Negro Speaks of Rivers, which she is documenting on Philadanco; being an athlete in track & field and archery at Hunter College; how Hughes talked about Primus' role in Negro Speaks of Rivers; discussion of the Conga dance and audiences laughing at the raffia masks for her work, Dance of Initiation. Reel 2 continues with talk of dance being a communication to an audience; her dance for peace, War Peace; her refusal to adhere to Billy Rose contract; photos of her husband and son; the importance of the fertility dance; teaching through her experiences and teaching authentic dance and knowing the truth; Question and Answer session with Primus talking about her dreams; explaining her dreams into dances; talking about the origin of Jazz dance as an art form; her experiences in the Belgian Congo, now Zaire; Africans rushing her after a performance while the Europeans got in cars and left; teaching at SUNY Buffalo, in communities and in New Rochelle; preacher calling her the Devil; prejudices and history of the black individuals; and conclusion by Susan Hess.
- Series Statement
- Susan Hess Modern Dance Lecture Series Video Archive
- Uniform Title
- Susan Hess Modern Dance Lecture Series Video Archive.
- Alternative Title
- Recollections and Rare Films
- Subjects
- Genre/Form
- Dance.
- Video.
- Filmed dance.
- Interviews.
- Nonfiction films.
- Note
- Title from original video cassette label.
- Reel 1 (57 min.) ; Reel 2 (42 min.).
- Access (note)
- Patrons can access streaming video files online only onsite at the Library for the Performing Arts.
- Credits (note)
- Project director, Susan Hess ; videographer, Alan Powell.
- Source (note)
- Contents
- Reel 1. Evening with Pearl Primus [beginning] (57 min.).
- Reel 2. Evening with Pearl Primus [conclusion] (41 min.) -- Closing comments (1 min.) / by Susan Hess.
- Call Number
- *MGZIDF 1466
- OCLC
- 889434521
- Title
Five Evenings with American Dance Pioneers : Pearl Primus, Third Evening.
- Production
1983.
- Country of Producing Entity
U.S.
- Type of Content
two-dimensional moving image
- Type of Medium
computer
video
- Type of Carrier
online resource
- Series
Susan Hess Modern Dance Lecture Series Video Archive
Susan Hess Modern Dance Lecture Series Video Archive.
- Original Version
Original format: 2 videocassettes (U-matic) ; 3/4 in.
- Restricted Access
Patrons can access streaming video files online only onsite at the Library for the Performing Arts.
- Credits
Project director, Susan Hess ; videographer, Alan Powell.
- Performer
Speaker, Pearl Primus.
- Event
Videotaped during talk at Hess studio in Philadelphia, Pa. 1983 April 29.
- Source
Gift; Susan Hess; 2010.
- Connect to:
- Added Author
Primus, Pearl, speaker.
Hess, Susan, speaker.
Hess, Susan, director.
Powell, Alan, videographer.
Hess, Susan, donor.
- Research Call Number
*MGZIDF 1466