Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

choreography in the public domain?


Recommended Posts

I'm new to the site, and couldn't find another forum that seemed a more appropriate place to ask about this, but if anyone has any recommendations, I'd appreciate it.

I'm looking for some information on the choreographic rights for the Act III piano variation from Petipa's Raymonda, which I think is in the public domain. I'm also interested in finding out about the rights for Dolin's Pas de Quatre; either the Taglioni or Cerrito variation. Does anyone know for sure if these rights are public, or if there is a legal copyright holder for any of them?

Thanks!

Link to comment

Yes, the generic Raymonda "cembalom" variation is in the public domain. As to Dolin, that's a bit dicier. As I noted on another thread currently active on the board, it is based on a version choreographed by Keith Lester. Most of the versions seen today are "after Dolin", but Dolin, it would appear, was "after Lester". Some versions are presented after Lester, in a choreographic pedigree that goes back to 1936, but I don't know that Lester (b. 1924) ever registered a copyright on his choreography, nor am I certain what could be considered "after Dolin", as he changed bits around frequently in his stagings. I do not know if Dolin's estate contained any choreographic copyrights, so if he or anybody else (say, an executor) failed to register it, it would be in the clear as well. Dolin died in Paris, was a British subject, and maintained an American address for immigration purposes! A nice tangle of legalities trying to figure out whom to apply to for establishing rights.

Link to comment

Another resource you might want to explore is the Dance Notation Bureau. They list a couple of scores for Dolin's PdQ in their Catalogue of Notated Theatrical Dances, one of the full ballet notated in 1984, and another just of the Lucile Grahn variation notated in 1965. They would have information on copyright as a part of their restaging program.

www.dancenotation.org/DNB/index.html

Link to comment
As to Dolin, that's a bit dicier. As I noted on another thread currently active on the board, it is based on a version choreographed by Keith Lester. Most of the versions seen today are "after Dolin", but Dolin, it would appear, was "after Lester". Some versions are presented after Lester, in a choreographic pedigree that goes back to 1936...

I knew both Keith Lester slightly and Sir Anton Dolin a little better. I have never heard of any attribution to the Dolin version being anything but Dolin's and Lester's was anything but Lester's. It seems to me a fairly recent phenomenon to think otherwise. I am however willing, if there is incontroversial evidence, to be disillusioned.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...