©: How copyright crushed a ballet

Subject: ©: How copyright crushed a ballet
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 01 May 00 - 12:41 PM

Here is a London Times article by Richard Morrison about how the Presley syndicate suppressed a ballet about Elvis.

A sort of happy outcome: the choreographer re-worked his ballet into a story about an Elvis impersonator. The new show, as of Morrison's writing, was scheduled to open in London.

T.

Subject: RE: ©: How copyright crushed a ballet
From: SINSULL
Date: 01 May 00 - 02:23 PM

This has the makings of a Song Challenge!!! Aine?

Subject: RE: ©: How copyright crushed a ballet
From: GUEST,Jimmy
Date: 01 May 00 - 11:53 PM

Other than a bunch of Elvis impersonators sitting in the front row of a ballet performance, the only other bizarre instance of Elvis strangeness that comes to mind was when the Elvis Impersonators Skydiving Team parachuted into a festival I was attending. Each of the (8 or 10) members wore a different color of bellbottomed jumpsuit from delicate pastel pink, delicate pastel lilac through delicate pastel blue. They had the raven black hairdos and sideburns with the aviator sunglasses. Now there is the basis for a song!

Subject: RE: ©: How copyright crushed a ballet
From: T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 20 Jul 00 - 08:04 PM

Here is an account of another case of the use of copyright to suppress dance, and in an attempt to suppress speech. In this case, "Frostburg University abruptly eliminated all of [modern dance pioneer Martha] Graham's dances from a three-week educational retreat...after Graham's legal heir, Ron Protas, demanded the dismissal of several teachers who were scheduled to participate. His lawyer also sought a ban on readings from any of Graham's writings on the basis that Mr. Protas had inherited the rights to her works, including books and letters....Michael Quinn, the lawyer representing Mr. Protas, said that the Martha Graham Trust had offered to let the university use the licensed works without charge for teaching lessons. But he said the trust took issue with allowing supporters of the boycott letter to choreograph and perform Graham works....as of Friday the trust was seeking permission to send a nonparticipating observer to monitor the classes to make sure there is no teaching of Graham." (Emphasis added).

The trust's position seems self-contradictory. If it merely didn't want the three teachers contributing to a performance of one of Graham's works, why is it trying to suppress all teaching of Graham and reading from her works? Why didn't it revoke only the performance license?

So, does copyright here "promote the progress of science and useful arts ?"

T.