The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford
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| Repository: | The HistoryMakers |
| 1900 S. Michigan Avenue |
| Chicago, Illinois 60616 |
| (312) 674-1900 |
| info@thehistorymakers.com |
| http://www.thehistorymakers.com |
| Interviewer: | Julieanna Richardson |
| Videographer: | Scott Stearns |
| Title: | Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford |
| Dates: | March 31, 2002 |
| Abstract: | (ABSTRACT) |
| Quantity: | 7 Betacam SP videocassettes, 1 half-Hollinger box containing (NUMBER) folders of accompanying materials. |
| Identification: | A2002.031 |
| Language: | The interviews and records are in English |
Ruth Beckford was born on December 7, 1925, in Oakland, California, and began dancing at age three. In 1943, Beckford toured with the legendary Katherine Dunham. In 1947, she founded the first recreational modern dance department in the United States at the Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation. Beckford opened the Ruth Beckford African-Haitian Dance Company in 1953. She closed her dance studio in 1975, but continues to perform. She co-wrote, produced and starred in "'Tis the Morning of My Life," an off-Broadway success. She has played major roles in television shows and film, including Angels in the Outfield, The Principal and Midnight Caller. She counseled homeless people at the Berkeley office of the Department of Social Services between 1990 and 1997, then became a life skills counselor at the Oakland Private Industry Council. She has written several books, including Still Groovin': Affirmations for Women in the Second Half of Life.
Biographical Note by The HistoryMakers®
This life oral history interview with Ruth Beckford was conducted by Julieanna Richardson on 2002-03-31 in Oakland, California and is recorded on 7 30-minute Betacam SP videocassettes. Access copies exist on Betacam SP, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1. The interview contains information on (COMPLETE ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW). Accompanying materials in the collection include Ruth Beckford's correspondence with The HistoryMakers® related to the interview; a copy of the signed release form and the production report; the biographical information used by the interviewer to prepare for the interview (DETAILS); paper copies of the interview transcripts, 3 1/2" floppy disks with electronic copies of the transcripts; selected quotes for video clips; photocopies of photographs captured on video; XML files with metadata created in editing and cataloguing the interview for The HistoryMakers Digital Video Library; and paper copies of these XML files.
Restrictions on Access
Access to paper records is restricted. Other restrictions may be applied on a case-by-case basis.
Restrictions on Use
All use of materials must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers® and appropriate credit must be given. All use credits must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers®. Copyright is held by The HistoryMakers®.
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| This record series is indexed under the following controlled access terms. |
| Contributors: |
| | Beckford, Ruth |
| | Richardson, Julieanna |
| | Stearns, Scott |
| Persons: |
| | (PERSONS) |
| Corporate Bodies: |
| | (CORPORATE BODIES) |
| Family Names: |
| | Beckford |
| Places: |
| | (PLACES) |
| Subjects: |
| | (SUBJECTS) |
| Document Types: |
| | Video oral history interview |
| Titles: |
| | The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford |
Accompanying materials: Accompanying materials are filed in (NUMBER) folders in a half-Hollinger box and shelved at The HistoryMakers® Archives and Collection Library by accession number, separately from the videos.
Betacam, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1 access copies are held for in-house use at The HistoryMakers®; Betacam SP, VHS and DVD playback hardware is provided for in-house viewing of the access copies; MPEG-1 copies are searchable and viewable via a digital video database.
The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, March 31, 2002. The HistoryMakers® African American Video Oral History Collection, 1900 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois.
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 1, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:30:08:19.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins by describing her father's and mother's personalities and backgrounds. She remembers her household being being filled with love, support, and encouragement. Beckford recalls her first memories of dancing for her family at social events. Beckford describes growing up in Oakland, California, detailing the multiracial environment, which she found to be relatively harmonious. Beckford talks about her first formal dance training as a child, describing her experience as the only African American dancer in her studio. She details the different forms of dance she studied under Florelle Batsford and Katherine Dunham. Beckford describes her early successes as a dancer, noting that she started receiving pay as early as age eight. Beckford closes by outlining her experiences in grammar school and describing her childhood personality. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 2, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:29:25:05.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins by describing the positive influences her parents had on her personal development, praising her father's work ethic and her mother's free spirit. She recalls a memorable dance recital at which she excelled despite spraining her ankle. Beckford then explains how the attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II affected her life and the lives of others in the San Francisco Bay Area. She describes her high school experience, detailing how she excelled at a mostly white high school. Beckford then describes the various styles of dance which she practiced. She closes by detailing her first meeting with legendary dancer Katherine Dunham. Beckford describes how she was accepted into Dunham's dance company at age seventeen, and spent six weeks learning Dunham's method and touring with the company. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 3, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:29:07:22.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins by briefly recounting what she learned during her time dancing with Katherine Dunham's dance company. Beckford discusses her quick progression through Modern dance classes at the University of California at Berkeley, which led to her invitation to study Modern dance at a professional studio in San Francisco. She explains how her versatile dancing skills enabled her to adapt to many different styles of dance. Beckford then details her work teaching recreational dance classes to girls from Oakland's inner city. She explains how she nurtured and mothered her students, who did not always have good parental influences. Beckford explains why her dance classes made it easy to leave Cal before finishing her degree. Beckford then criticizes contemporary dance artists for being too concerned with money rather than their art. She briefly explains why interracial marriage was prevalent in Katherine Dunham's dance company. Beckford closes by explaining her decision not to have children of her own, choosing instead to focus on her students. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 4, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:30:49:10.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins with a discussion about the discipline she instilled in her dance students, and explains why such discipline was beneficial. Beckford describes her trip to Haiti, where she researched the culture so that she could incorporate Haitian and African influences in her choreography. She explains how she combined African and Haitian dance in her studio and why she kept these classes separate from her Modern dance classes. Beckford then details the creative process behind her choreography. Beckford talks about her volunteer efforts working in children's dance and theater after her retirement. She explains why her retirement from dance is satisfying. Beckford then describes her forays into stage and film acting, which became her second career. She closes by describing the production and performance of the first play she wrote. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 5, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:30:28:05.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins by describing her experience writing, producing, and performing in her trilogy of plays 'Tis the Morning of My Life,' explaining why the plays were so successful. Beckford then discusses acting in several motion pictures, often collaborating with her former student Ron Stacker Thompson. She discusses her projects as president of the African American Museum Library Coalition. Beckford talks about the declining theater scene in Oakland, and details her attempts to revive it. Beckford moves on to her writing career, first discussing how she was chosen to write a biography for Katherine Dunham. Beckford then details the publishing process behind her successful book of affirmations for women, and briefly mentions an unpublished book. Beckford closes by talking about her long friendship with Maya Angelou. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 6, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:30:09:25.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford begins by giving her opinion about what defines a true artist. She continues, discussing the second-class status attributed to most African American artists in the United States. She briefly discusses the importance of the hip-hop dance style. Beckford then explains why she thinks dance is worse off for emphasizing technique over emotions. Beckford briefly mentions her interest in arts and crafts. She then details her concerns about the future of the black community, revealing that she is particularly worried about how sex affects black teenaged girls. Beckford also describes the volunteer social work she does with African American youth. Beckford discusses her legacy, stressing the need to live a life filled with enjoyment and fun. Beckford closes the interview by talking about the importance of friendship amongst women. Following the interview, Beckford describes a series of eighteen photos, depicting Beckford's family, friends, and dance career. |
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Video Oral History Interview with Ruth Beckford, Tape 7, March 31, 2002, TRT: 00:06:03:13.
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| Dancer Ruth Beckford describes seven photos, including images from her dance career, social work, stage career, and writing career. |