Carola Goya and Matteo papers

id
917
origination
Matteo
date statement
1944-2000 [bulk 1954-1994]
key date
1944
identifier (local_mss)
18501
org unit
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
call number
*MGZMD 292
b-number
b19480938
total components
19
total series
0
max depth
2
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2013-04-01 15:03:29 UTC
updated
2026-06-25 15:07:55 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>".84 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"2 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
unitid
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 292", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"18501", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1944-2000", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1944/2000"}
{"value"=>"1954-1994", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1954/1994"}
date_inclusive_start
1944
date_inclusive_end
2000
keydate
1944
unittitle
{"value"=>"Carola Goya and Matteo papers"}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. <span class=\"subarea\">Jerome Robbins Dance Division</span></span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"Carola Goya and Matteo were leaders in the world of ethnic dance for over forty years. Forming their dance partnership in 1954, after each had a successful solo career, they toured worldwide, performing and studying dance in over sixty countries. The papers document their professional career together through correspondence, publicity materials, press clippings and releases, and writings. The bulk of the material dates from 1954 to 1994, when Goya died."}
prefercite
{"value"=>"Carola Goya and Matteo papers, *MGZMD 292. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Carola Goya was born Carola Goya Weller in New York City in 1906. A daughter of Samuel Weller, a personal representative of several New York actors, she studied ballet with Michel Fokine at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School. By 1924, she was receiving excellent notices for her dance recitals in New York City. One of her grandmothers was Spanish, and in the 1920s, she went to Seville, Spain, to learn Spanish dancing from the renowned teacher Manuel de Castillo Otero. Her training as a classical ballet dancer enabled her to learn the many regional dances relatively quickly, and she became an acknowledged authority on Spanish dance. Goya made her debut as a Spanish dancer in New York City in 1927, and performed at the White House in 1936, one of the first dancers to do so. Together with her sister, the harpist Beatrice Burford, she travelled throughout the United States, Canada and South America. She was renowned for her ability to choreograph traditional Spanish dances to music by Spanish composers such as Isaac Albeniz and Enrique Granados. She joined the Jose Greco Company after World War II as a principal dancer, and performed with them from 1947 to 1951. She worked with Matteo, giving concerts on the castanets, beginning in 1953. They formed their dance partnership in 1954 with \"A World of Dance,\" which was performed worldwide until the 1970s; Goya frequently designed her own costumes to ensure their authenticity. They married in 1974. With Matteo, she taught at Jacob's Pillow, and established the Foundation for Ethnic Dance, a not-for-profit corporation based in New York City. Carola Goya died May 13, 1994.</p> <p>Matteo was born Matteo Marcellus Vittucci in Utica, New York, in 1919. The youngest of four sons of Italian immigrant parents, he was a posthumous child; his father, also named Matteo, died three months before his birth. He followed his older brothers to Cornell University, received his B.S. in anthropology, and then received his M.S. from Springfield College. He joined the Metropolitan Opera ballet as a soloist in 1947, and danced with the Opera until 1951. He became interested in ethnic dance as a professional in 1949, studied with La Meri until 1952, made his solo debut as an ethnic dancer in 1953, and formed his dance partnership with Carola Goya the following year. He studied Spanish dance, made four trips to India to study Indian dance, and altogether studied the dances of sixty countries. He taught at the New York City High School of the Performing Arts (now Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and the Performing Arts), Jacob's Pillow, Utah State University and Connecticut College. With Carola Goya, he toured worldwide in \"A World of Dance,\" and later, with the Matteo Ethno-American Dance Theatre. He made documentary films on dance, and wrote and lectured extensively on the subject of ethnic dance. In 1990, he wrote <span class=\"title\">The Language of Spanish Dance</span>, which is currently in its second edition and still in print. With Goya, he founded the Foundation for Ethnic Dance, a not-for-profit foundation based in New York City, devoted to the study of ethnic dance worldwide. Matteo died on March 24, 2011.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The Carola Goya and Matteo papers consist of correspondence from 1948 to 2000 documenting the professional careers of Goya and Matteo and their Foundation for Ethnic Dance. The collection also documents the Foundation's touring companies, their various performing arrangements and publicity materials. The bulk of the correspondence and writings was written by, or addressed to, Matteo. There is a folder of condolence letters received by Matteo after Goya's death in 1994. A digest of press clippings, updated to 1965, and publicity materials cover the period from 1956, shortly after their partnership was formed, until 1992. There are performance schedules from 1968 to 1980. There is substantial material on castanets, on which they were both virtuoso performers, in various correspondence and writings. This collection does not include financial documentation for the Foundation or the touring companies.</p> <p>The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' dance research collection includes additional materials related to Carola Goya and Matteo. Books, programs, photographs, press clippings, as well as audio and video recordings can be found by conducting separate author and subject searches for \"Goya, Carola\" and \"Matteo.\" When conducting an author search, Goya will be listed separately as a costume designer, dancer, interviewee, and performer.</p>"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"<p>Alphabetical by subject. Correspondence is arranged chronologically, followed by subject files.</p>"}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Unknown</p>"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Marian H. O'Brian, Palmer School of Library and Information Science, 2012.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>Correspondence has been removed from loose-leaf binders and placed in their original order in archival folders. Some archival photocopies replace faded originals and some brittle pages have been replaced with archival photocopies.</p>"}
accessrestrict
{"value"=>"<p>To request materials, contact the Jerome Robbins Dance Division (dance@nypl.org) in advance.</p>"}
userestrict
{"value"=>"<p>Donor retains copyright of materials. Library policy on photocopying will apply. For permission to publish, contact the curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</p>"}
relatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<span class=\"archref\">Arthur M. Abell papers. Music Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Eye on Dance records. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">John Martin papers. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library .</span> <span class=\"archref\">John Willis's Dance World papers. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Kurt Schindler papers. Music Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Selma Jeanne Cohen papers relating to Dance Perspectives. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Ted Shawn collection. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Ted Shawn papers. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"archref\">Walter Terry papers. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.</span>"}
origination
{"value"=>"Matteo", "type"=>"persname"}
extent_statement
.84 linear feet (2 boxes)
date_start
1944
date_end
2000
date_bulk_start
1954
date_bulk_end
1994

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Resources TOP

PDF finding aid



https://nyplorg-data-archives.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/collection/pdf_finding_aid/dan18501.pdf

File attachments

No files attached.

Repository Assets

No UUIDs attached.

Living at NYPL Archives

Sign in to add or edit a living at feature for this collection.

Export Collection to ArchivesSpace