In the Muse presumes that the stereotyped Germans pictured in this illustration to Paul Rubens’ composition, “The German cake walk” are simply performing the titular dance. But the action in this scene is potentially ambiguous. Is the mustachioed man running away from an amorous Fraulein, or simply leading her in an impromptu march? Why does …
The following is a guest post by Stephen Winick, Writer and Editor, American Folklife Center. On Saturday, February 18, 2012, the Library’s Coolidge auditorium hosted a relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable concert by Grammy-Award-winning old-time folk music group The Carolina Chocolate Drops. The two-hour concert featured old-fashioned music on guitar, banjo, steel-resonator mandolin, and fiddle, with …
The Music Division is proud to announce a new exhibition in the lobby of the Performing Arts Reading Room. Choreographers have long used the medium of dance to express America’s cultural diversity. Politics and the Dancing Body also explores the way choreographers employ the body as a tool in the fight against injustice. The exhibit …
The following is a guest post by Daniel Walshaw, Music Division. The Music Division is home to the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection. Danny Kaye turned ninety-nine yesterday. While normally that would not warrant more than the usual nod to a performing genius, something about the rhythmical nature of the number “ninety-nine” makes me think of …
The following is a guest post from Music Archivist Chris Hartten. Broadway pianist, composer, and arranger Luther Henderson spent much of his career infusing the stage with his love for the storied roots of American jazz. Born in Kansas City on March 14, 1919, Henderson graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in 1942 before …
The following is a guest post by Denise Gallo, Head of Acquisitions and Processing. Many people may be under the misconception that the Music Division only collects music. Despite our division’s title, the name of our reading room, Performing Arts, actually describes our holdings far more accurately. So, in addition to music, we also boast …
