Lythic alwin nikolais biography

Alwin Nikolais was the sole creator of each media source he used.
In his early years he dabbled with piano, and music composition.
Born in Southington, Conn., Nikolais initially studied piano and began performing as a teenager, accompanying silent films as well as local.

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Decoding Nikolais—
A Conversation

"Nikolais Dance Theatre"
Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company
Stanford University Memorial Auditorium
(Presented by Stanford Lively Arts)
October 24, 2003

By Rita Felciano and Rachel Howard
copyright @2003by Rita Felciano and Rachel Howard

Rather than write a review, Rita Felciano and Rachel Howard decided to test the limits of dance writing on the internet and have conversation following the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company's program of Alwin Nikolais works. The performance included Crucible (1985), "Lythic," from Prism (1956), Blank on Blank (1987), "Finale" from Liturgies, Noumenon Mobilus (1953), Mechanical Organ (1980), and Tensile Involvement (1955).

RITA: Let me ask you a question. Actually I have two: Why do you think it's important that this work be seen? And would you go back and see it again?

RACHEL: That brings up something I was going to ask you. Because one argument you could make for the importance of seeing this work is to gain a context for what is going on in moder

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Alwin Nikolais ( Nik )

RECORD OF AWARDS:

INTERNATIONAL

-Grand Medaille de Vermelle de la Ville de Paris – 1988

-Vignale Festival (Italy) Award – 1987

-Gold Medal- City of Lyon (France)-1986

-Gold Medal – Aix-en-Provence (France)-1985

-Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur

French Embassy, New York-1984

-Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts ET des Letters, Paris-1982

Presented by the Minister of Culture: Jack Lang

-Bronze Hugo from Chicago International Film Festival-1980

-Bitef Theater Award, Belgrade, Yugoslavia-1968

-Grand Prix International Festival de Danse, Paris-1968

NATIONAL

-Tiffany Award, New York City-1988

-Kennedy Center Honors, Washington, DC-1987

With Nathan Millstein, Sammy Davis Jr. Bette Davis and Perry Como

Presented at the White House by President Reagan.

-American Dance Guild Award, New York City-1987

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Utah’s acclaimed Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will present “Nikolais Dance Theatre,” an evening-length collection of visionary multimedia works that transform dance into a visual and kinetic art. The show, a homage to innovative dancer Alwin Nikolais, begins at 8 p.m. Nov. 2 and 3 as part of Edison Theatre’s OVATIONS! Series.

Born in 1910 in Southington, Conn., Nikolais initially studied piano and began performing as a teenager, accompanying silent films as well as local dance classes. As a student at Bennington College, he began studying dance with Martha Graham and Hanya Holm, among others, and in 1935 was appointed director of the Hartford Parks Marionette Theatre.

In 1937 he opened his own dance studio and in 1940 received his first commission, for the ballet “Eight Column Line.” Following a stint in the Army during World War II, Nikolais relocated to New York City and in 1948 founded the Playhouse Dance Company, later renamed the Nikolais Dance Theatre.

In 1949, Nikolais met a pair of notable young dancers — Murray Louis and Joan Wo