Interview of Lucy Venable by Nena Couch
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Date
2005
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Ohio State University Archives
Abstract
Lucy Venable had a long and distinguished career as a dancer, Professor of Dance at OSU, and expert in dance notation and movement. Her career intersected with many of the most famous and creative individuals in the world of dance, including Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Robert Joffrey. She headed the Dance Notation Bureau (DNB) in New York between 1961 and 1968, and when she joined the faculty at Ohio State in 1968 as an Assistant Professor of Dance she brought with her the records and collections of the DNB. These were held under special arrangements within the DNB Extension, a part of the Division of Dance. For twelve years Venable was Director of the Extension. She was also instrumental in developing the “Effort/Shape” concept that culminated in the Institute of Movement Studies. Through the years she worked on a number of dances, including The Green Table, Flickers, There is a Time, What’s Remembered?, Bamboo Grove, and The Comedians. She taught various courses including ones on Labanotation and the Alexander Technique. Her transcript of her oral interview includes brief mention of virtually every faculty member, and certain students, who were associated with the Division of Dance at Ohio State during her long career. Only a few of the more prominent can be mentioned in the list below. Venable retired in 1992 as a Full Professor.
Description
Jose Limon: Modern Dance (pp. 3, 9, 12, 28) --
Martha Graham: Dancer and teacher (p. 3) --
Doris Humphrey: Modern Dancer and Choreographer (pp. 4-5) --
Rosalind Pierson: Director of the University Dance Company (p. 6) --
Bonnie Bird: ballet, children’s dance, teaching (pp. 6-8) -- Rudolf Laban: dancer and originator of Laban Notation System (pp. 4, 11, 15-17) --
Joe Pilates: expert on conditioning and dance motion (p. 15) --
Irmgard Bartenieff: dancer, teacher, notation, and Effort/Shape (pp. 15-17) -- Helen Alkire: Chair, Division of Dance, OSU (pp. 17-20, 24,26, 52) --
Ruth Currier: Prof. of Dance, founder of ADIR (American Dance in Repertory) (pp. 16-22) --
Angelika Gerbes: Head of the Dance History area at OSU (p. 23) -- Odette Blum: Professor of Dance at OSU, expert on Labanotation (pp. 24-27) --
Anna Markand: daughter of famed choreographer (Kurt Jooss, p. 27) --
Vickie Blaine: Director of the University Dance Company (pp. 28, 30, 36, 53)
-- Chuck Csuri: Professor at OSU (p. 35) --
Marjorie Barstow: expert on the Alexander Technique (pp. 44-46)
Keywords
ADIR, American Dance in Repertory Company, DNB Extension, labananalysis