Review: NY Public Library Celebrates Jerome Robbins in Exhibit VOICE OF MY CITY

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center opened its latest exhibit celebrating choreographer Jerome Robbins on Tuesday, September 25 with luminaries like Mikhail Baryshnikov in attendance. The exhibit, titled VOICE OF MY CITY: JEROME ROBBINS AND NEW YORK examines the relationship between the dance icon and the city he called home.

What moved me most about the exhibit, however, was the degree to which Robbins expressed his creativity in media other than dance. The walls at the library include paintings, watercolors, drawings, story scenarios, and poems that show Robbins to have been a supremely creative and deeply introspective person who felt the need to express himself in many forms.

Also included in the exhibit are letters, diary entries, and dreams that he wrote down in an effort to better understand himself. We learn about his passionate advocacy for HIV/AIDS as well. I walked away feeling that I knew the man a little better than I would if I had only watched his dances.

Of course, for those who are most interested in his work as a dancer and choreographer, there is plenty to discover. You'll find videos of him dancing in the 1930s on a rooftop, as well as videos of his works, including footage of Robbins rehearsing A SUITE OF DANCES with Baryshnikov just six years before his (Robbins') death. In another video, he tells an interviewer that a ballet is like an island that you've heard about, and once you're there, you have to explore it. He planned no steps until in the studio with his dancers.

Martha Swope's iconic photographs line the walls, and there are costume sketches, images of the shooting of the WEST SIDE STORY film, and a few costumes from shows such as WEST SIDE STORY and FANCY FREE.

Also in the collection are items that draw attention to his reputation as a difficult taskmaster and perfectionist. Documents discuss his famous firing from WEST SIDE STORY, and there is a caricature by Jack Murray of Robbins holding a whip. Then, there are treasures like a score of THE AGE OF ANXIETY from 1950, autographed to "Jerry" from "Lenny" (Leonard Bernstein).

If Robbins had lived, he would be 100 years old this year. His legacy is all the more impressive when you see so many artifacts and videos brought together in one exhibit. You can see it for yourself for free at the library at Lincoln Center through March 30, 2019.

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