Kirstein home landmarked

[kfw]

The Historic Landmarks Preservation Center will place a medallion on Lincoln Kirstein’s home today.

At 3 p.m. the Kirstein medallion will be dedicated at 128 East 19th Street. The speakers will be Jennifer Homans, the author of Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet, and founder of the National Dance Institute Jacques D’Amboise.

I remember how thrilled I was, when viewing the papers related to an Elie Nadelman sculpture at Harvard’s Busch-Reisinger Museum, to find Kirstein’s address on a piece of his correspondence. I made a point of going by his house when I was in New York on vacation a few days later.

[sandik]

Oh excellent. The British are so good at recognizing physical landmarks with those distinctive blue plaques and I always wish we did as good a job. -- I'm glad that this is happening to Kirstein's house.

[Michael]

What in the world qualifies Ms. Homans to appear at this event? Couldn't they find someone more connected to Kirstein, someone appropriate. Publish a book about anything - knowing more than most people in the street on the subject but actually slightly ignorant and opinionated in expertise - and you're the instant talking head for all occasions on that subject. Is Lincoln rolling in his proverbial grave? Probably not, he had plenty of reason to be tolerant of self taught passionate opinions. Yet I for one would love to have seen "Lincoln acting badly" for this event.

[pherank]

What in the world qualifies Ms. Homans to appear at this event? Couldn't they find someone more connected to Kirstein, someone appropriate. Publish a book about anything - knowing more than most people in the street on the subject but actually slightly ignorant and opinionated in expertise - and you're the instant talking head for all occasions on that subject. Is Lincoln rolling in his proverbial grave? Probably not, he had plenty of reason to be tolerant of self taught passionate opinions. Yet I for one would love to have seen "Lincoln acting badly" for this event.

Someone like, say, Toni Bentley?

I suppose they were looking for a reputable ballet authority (or would that be a ballet authority with a reputation?), who could be in New York at the necessary time. It's always hard to know just how much thought was given to the ceremony and speakers.

[Drew]

Very nice to learn about the medallion.

[kfw]

Ideally, perhaps, Martin Duberman would have been given the honor of speaking, in gratitude for his yeoman work in writing that biography. Still, the medallion's the thing, not the ceremony. Kirstein's not exactly a household name. I'm just glad he's being remembered in a way that will introduce him to people who've never heard of him.

[Natalia]

Excellent news!

[kfw]

Today is Kirstein's birthday; he would have been 110. What wouldn't I give to read his thoughts on today's hot choreographers, the current condition of the Balanchine rep at City Ballet, and the way social media has transformed ballet public relations.  

 

Last week in New York, while walking from E. 49th to E. 16th, I made a point of going by his home, and was pleased to see the plaque there in his honor. I had completely forgotten this thread!