UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #348
MOORE, ELLEN

MOORE, Ellen (1925- )
Graduate Student; Assistant Professor of Physical Education and Dance
At UW: 1949-1951; 1954-1955; 1960-1963; 1967-1977

Interviewed: 1988	
Interviewer: Laura Smail	
Length: 3 hours

Background; Experiences as Margaret H'Doubler's student in early 1950s; Other faculty members; Changes in Department after H'Doubler's retirement; Appointment to faculty; Failure to secure tenure.

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:00	Interviewer’s introduction.

00:00:19	H'Doubler's last years.

00:05:21	Moore's background.  Brought up Iowa, mother a dancer.  Experiences in dance in girlhood and at Wellesley.  Study at Martha Graham studio.  Reasons came to UW.

00:13:48	Meeting H'Doubler.  Decision to get graduate degree in dance.

00:15:49	Shirley Dodge and Wigman method.

00:18:50	Required courses for Physical Education and Dance students.

00:20:15	Michigan program. Ruth Glassow, H'Doubler relationship.

00:23:53	H'Doubler teaching compared Graham, Humphrey-Weidman.

00:27:31	Moore's recent meeting with Glassow.

00:28:41	End of side

Tape 1/Side 2

00:28:45  	More on H'Doubler's teaching.  EM's first reaction.

00:32:47	The procedure--use of skeleton, having to think, moving.  Effect on the self, freedom at end to improvise.

00:43:21	Moore’s background in science. Physical education majors' reactions to H’DOubler.

00:46:15	Louise Kloepper's classes.  Magnificent teacher.  Technique integrated with H'Doubler's.  H'Doubler controlled dance teaching.  Effect on students. 
 
00:51:48	UW’s “esoteric” reputation. Use of knee pads; blindfolds.  H'Doubler's teaching liberating, gave a solid base for teaching.

00:55:19	End of tape.

Tape 2/Side 1

00:00:07	More on Kloepper's teaching.  Her background and training.

00:05:17	Dance faculty dovetailed beautifully then.  Shirley Dodge work in dance therapy at Mendota.  Other faculty.  Richness of the combination.

00:10:35	EM invited back here on faculty after teaching Michigan State.  Reasons rejected offer.  Taught one year.  Married, 1955. When marriage broke up in 1969, applied for job opening in department and was accepted.

00:13:31	In interim taught teenagers Saturdays, was member dance group, took classes, so knew students and their complaints.

00:18:32  	Mary Fee carried on H'Doubler's theory courses.  Didn't have strong dance background.

00:19:59  	No one could replace H'Doubler's dancing or administrative ability, and ability get along with physical education people.  Deterioration of department began when she left in 1954.

00:23:07	EM went to all concerts in 1960s, saw choreography being done.  Anna Nassif big boned, weighty, but had stage power, music background.  Problem was had do all choreography, had to keep producing.  Others there able to choreograph but takes hassle to support productions; Kloepper didn't seek money from physical education to get variety.  She was good at getting production done, but not at making initial effort to get funding.  Had good sense of humor, likeable, not an administrator. 

00:29:25	End of side. 

Tape 2/Side 2

00:29:29	(from voice)  Problems of alcoholism in department.  Kloepper cured now.  EM lived with her nine months.  Her drinking, her anger at people in past who'd imposed on her.  Fee also, and generally heavy drinking at parties.

00:33:30	Problem of co-chairs.  EM hired back she thinks with full agreement department.  Was to be in charge methodology teaching children, though had no experience.  They said she would do other things, needed full-time person.  EM had done a lot of choreography in Madison but was told couldn't do it in department.  Anna did that.  Thinks a factor in her not getting tenure.  EM getting divorce, angry, not aware of importance of tenure track, had something valuable for department--her link to H'Doubler.  Pushed strongly to have students take improvisation class which was directly from H'Doubler.  Was working hard.  Asked no questions.

00:45:39	End of tape. 

Tape 3/Side 1

00:00:00	What counted towards tenure in dance department; EM's teaching.

00:10:05	“Burn out” among the faculty. No one, including visiting artists, encouraged to choreograph.

00:14:26	EM's relationships with faculty.

00:27:18	Origins of later programs facing Dance department. 

00:29:03	End of side.

Tape 3/Side 2

00:29:08	(from voice) Others who weren't kept. Comparison between Dance and Art department leadership. 

00:37:31	Choreographing EM did (including for Theater department).

00:39:25	Difficulty getting money from Physical Education. Talented faculty who left. 

00:45:33	Wisconsin Dance Council; dance in Madison.

00:53:17	Extension dance program.

00:55:32	End of tape. 

Tape 4/Side 1

00:00:00	Education deans' lack of interest in department.

00:03:14	End of interview. 

END