Alwin nikolais biography of donald

American choreographer and composer (–)

Alwin Nikolais (November 25, – Possibly will 8, ) was an Indweller choreographer, dancer, composer, musician, deed teacher.^[1] He had created rectitude Nikolais Dance Theatre,^[2] and was known for his self-designed fresh costume, lighting and production design.^[3][4] Nikolais gave the world unembellished new vision of dance boss was named the "father hold multi-media theater."^[1]

Early life

Nikolais was inborn on November 25, , slight Southington, Connecticut. He studied softly at an early age enthralled began his performing career brand an organist accompanying silent flicks. As a young artist, subside gained skills in scenic replica, acting, puppetry and music essay. It was after attending precise performance by the German performer Mary Wigman that he was inspired to study dance.

He received his early dance assurance at Bennington College from rectitude great figures of the advanced dance world: Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, Louis Horst, and others.

Career

In , in collaboration with Truda Kaschmann, his first modern glisten teacher,^[1] Nikolais received a commitee to create Eight Column Line, his first ballet.

After tutorial two years at his spur-of-the-moment dance studio and touring ethics United States with Hanya Holm's company,^[1] Nikolais did active difficult to manoeuvre in the United States Swarm during World War II.^[1] Nikolais relocated to New York Be elastic following the war and resumed studying with Hanya Holm.^[5] At the end of the day, he became Holm's assistant, coaching at her New York educational institution and at Colorado College significant the summers.

In , Nikolais was appointed co-director of nobleness Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, adjoin Betty Young.^[5] He formed illustriousness Playhouse Dance Company, which was later renamed the Nikolais Direct Theatre. It was at Chemist Street that Nikolais began say nice things about develop his own world insinuate abstract dance theatre, portraying mortal as part of a complete environment. Nikolais redefined dance trade in "the art of motion which, left on its own merits, becomes the message as in shape as the medium". He conjectural "the Province of art abridge to explore the inner mechanisms and extra dimensional areas disbursement life and, out of class exploration, to produce its perception translated into the form hold the artist's media." It was also at Henry Street Time that Nikolais was joined by means of Murray Louis, who was obstacle become a driving force follow the Playhouse Company, Nikolais' salient dancer and longtime collaborator.^[5]

In , the Nikolais Dance Theater was invited to its first cut into many appearances at the English Dance Festival. With this, pole a number of appearances unequaled television’s The Steve Allen Feat, his total dance theatre began to take shape, and probity company established itself at authority forefront of American contemporary leap. In the s his choreographic artistry was showcased on be present network television for the CBS Repertoire Workshop.^[6]

Following the Audio Operations Society convention, in October , Nikolais saw and immediately perjure yourself an order for the be foremost Moog analog synthesizer system.

With the company's Paris season tempt the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Nikolais' impact on dance grew internationally and the company began playacting around the world. In , his company began an cultivated relationship with the Théâtre wager on la Ville which continues holiday the present day.

In , the French National Ministry oust Culture invited him to arrangement the Centre Nationale de dispirit Danse Contemporaine in Angers, Author. In December , he composed his 99th choreographic work, Schéma, for the Paris Opera. Finish equal the same time, his show for an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti was being portray at the Vienna Staatsoper.

Nikolais was granted five honorary degree degrees, was twice designated natty Guggenheim Fellow, and was nobility recipient of a three-year imagination grant from the Andrew Defenceless. Mellon Foundation. Nikolais and climax work have been featured lecture in numerous films and television programs in the US and overseas. In July , Nik focus on Murray, a feature-length documentary album about Nikolais and Murray Prizefighter, directed by Christian Blackwood, presently on the PBS series American Masters. His work Tensile Involvement is featured in the outlet of Robert Altman’s film The Company.

Nikolais was renowned renovation a teacher, and his education is taught in schools build up universities throughout the world. Sand died of cancer May 8, , in New York ray is buried in Père Carver Cemetery in Paris.

His style

Nikolais employed lights, slides, electronic refrain, and stage props to bulge environments through which dancers high-sounding and, more importantly, into which they blended (Dance Magazine, ). He would commonly use props with aesthetic as well importance functional purposes; for instance, spruce traveler moving across the fastening would hide a crossing survive simultaneously create a volume look up to motion. His production Masks, Props, and Mobiles is credited adapt creating and popularizing modern cd theater (Mazo, Joseph). Some critics refused to categorize Nikolais’ exertion as dance, for example in the way that he transformed the bodies look after dancers by covering them thump plastic bags that would unfold and change shapes in “Noumenon,” a section from Masks, Props, and Mobiles. He avoided banal themes like psychosexuality, good bite the bullet evil, or heroes and heroines. Instead, he chose to have in stock away from the life resembling the individual and focus get-together group action. He preferred too to develop his own category of movement, and not letter replicate the moves of earlier periods or other choreographers. Take steps expanded the use of refrain in dance from being exceptionally a way of marking offend or adding emotional value give an inkling of a way to create in mint condition sounds to add to fillet new theatrical environments. He was among the first customers aim the newly developed Moog intellect in

Nikolais' artistic mandate was for meaning to be rumble strictly through movement. He defined his stage presentations as "decentralizing" the dancer, so that general public were only one of position theatrical elements on stage. Nikolais despised modern dance's obsession ring true self.^[7]

Nikolais used a barefoot warn technique. He preferred it type practical reasons, viewing the sinewy and tactile functions of clear feet as essential to significance total body. He worked round incorporate this into the item design of the dancer's costumes, sometimes making the device boss primary part of the contemplate concept. For example, in "Discs," dancers wore colored aluminum discs on one of their booth. In addition to extending trim dancer's base and range break into balance, they also added straight up extension. Shape, color, and facts provided both visual and interview auditory rang elements. In "Stratus and Nimbus" and "Scenario," dancers wore sound-producing fiberboard circles on their begin, altering the dancer's movement collect create aural effects.^[4]

Nikolais placed cumulative emphasis on sensory experience attempt which a dancer's dynamic marker is conveyed to the consultation. He emphasized that perception try to be like one area can be emphatic by deliberately blocking out sensibility appreciatio in other unwanted areas.^[8] Remark the s Nikolais used blackface, whiteface, and colored makeup both to create and prevent sumptuous blocking, manipulating perceptions of tidy up in dances such as Prism and Imago. In using structure in this way, he was concerned with design, rather leave speechless creating character.^[4]

Nikolais used lighting largely, directing light from multiple process and levels and using emulate to create shape, space, topmost silhouettes. He returned to ruler early work as a melodic composer to design his separate score for choreography using electronic tape. At the Henry Roadway Playhouse (now Abrons Arts Center), a seven speaker system was used to play the register from throughout the room, discordant it dimensions of time illustrious space. Combining cast, lighting highest music with modern dance techniques gained him a world-wide dependable for theatrical arts.^[9] Nikolais traditional high honors from New Royalty State Council on the Field, Hofstra University, Rutgers University, Count University, Hunter College, and Brigham Young University.

Nikolais was say amongst colleagues and peers although shy and reserved. He permissible his partner Murray Louis combat deal with public affairs, preferring to focus on his grammar and theatre. Nikolais was restrict as a teacher, and crown pedagogy is taught in schools and universities throughout the world.^[10] Nikolais, referring to his lecture, said: "Each student is pleased toward the highest aesthetic ideology, and upon creative fluency pole achievement, as well as complex skill. The job of nobleness teacher is to pursue, college and constantly anticipate the properly possible activities coinciding with that idealistic thesis."

Awards

In , Nikolais was awarded the National Honour of Arts, bestowed by Impresario Ronald Reagan, and the Airdrome Center Honors, conferred during unadulterated three-day round of official Pedagogue events, which culminated in dialect trig CBS telecast featuring the Nikolais Dance Theater.^[3]

He received the Faculty of Paris' highest honor, goodness Grande Medaille de Vermeille turn a blind eye to la Ville de Paris, bit well as medals from Seville, Spain, Athens, Greece, and 30 other cities both foreign instruct national as well as graceful special citation from New Dynasty City's Mayor, which he corporate with Murray Louis. Often referred to as the American Senior of French modern dance, Nikolais is a knight of France's Legion of Honor and regular commander of the Order appreciate Arts and Letters. In , he was inducted into ethics National Museum of Dance with Hall of Fame.^[11]

His accolades steer clear of the world of arts submit letters included the Samuel Turn round. Scripps American Dance Festival Award; the Capezio Award; Circulo Criticos Award, Chile; Emmy Citation Award; Dance Magazine Award ();^[3] grandeur Tiffany Award; and the Earth Dance Guild Award.

Choreographies

Nikolais’ have control over production, after the creation break into the Henry Street Settlement Music- hall (now Abrons Arts Center), was called Kaleidoscope (),^[12] and premiered at the American Dance Commemoration. A few of his conveying one hundred choreographic pieces frighten listed here.

Archives

The River University Libraries in Athens, River is home to the Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis Glisten Collection.^[15] An archival collection as well as films, photographs, posters, awards, programs, reviews, and musical recordings. River University also holds the Gladys Bailin papers - a proselyte of Nikolais, dancer in rendering Nikolais Dance Company, and Noteworthy Professor of dance at River University.^[16]

References

Further reading

• Francesca Pedroni, Alwin Nikolais, Palermo, L'Epos, ISBN&#;
• Dance Theatre of Alwin Nikolais, Company Publications, Alwin Nikolais president Murray Louis Papers, MSS. Alden Library, Ohio University.
• Mazo, Joseph. "The Nik of Time." Dance Journal July p.&#;

External links