Alwin Nikolais: Visual Artist Extraordinaire
Alwin Nikolais was a modern dance genius whose contributions to dance as an art form are numerous. Known for his innovative dance works and performances, he was a master of all trades who wanted to encompass a variety of visual and auditory art forms to create one large spectacle. Many considered him to be a pioneer of modern dance, and Anna Kisselgoff, a journalist and dance critic, was quoted in The New York Times obituary for Nikolais as saying: "His contribution has been so original that among other modern-dance choreographers, he is the first to be considered truly inimitable. Any aspiring innovator who experiments with slide projections, light play on dancers' bodies and fabric as an extension of the human form will find that Alwin Nikolais has been there before." (Anderson) …show more content…
He studied piano, and even played organ for silent films. After going with a friend to see Mary Wigman perform, he grew fond of her use of sound and percussion as well as her dancing. After speaking with one of Wigman’s students, he was convinced to pursue dance. He started choreographing at the age of 26, only two years before he attended Bennington School of the Dance. He went to Bennington from 1938 to 1940, and while there he learned about modern dance, and founded an interest in German modern dance in particular. This was likely why Wigman (a prominent German modern choreographer) resonated so well with Nikolais, though not because of the emotional aspect so closely followed by Graham and others- he was interested in the theatrics and the form of the dancers. This founded his philosophy of movement, which is heavily incorporated into his dance
Alwin Nikolais was a modern dance genius whose contributions to dance as an art form are numerous. Known for his innovative dance works and performances, he was a master of all trades who wanted to encompass a variety of visual and auditory art forms to create one large spectacle. Many considered him to be a pioneer of modern dance, and Anna Kisselgoff, a journalist and dance critic, was quoted in The New York Times obituary for Nikolais as saying: "His contribution has been so original that among other modern-dance choreographers, he is the first to be considered truly inimitable. Any aspiring innovator who experiments with slide projections, light play on dancers' bodies and fabric as an extension of the human form will find that Alwin Nikolais has been there before." (Anderson) …show more content…
He studied piano, and even played organ for silent films. After going with a friend to see Mary Wigman perform, he grew fond of her use of sound and percussion as well as her dancing. After speaking with one of Wigman’s students, he was convinced to pursue dance. He started choreographing at the age of 26, only two years before he attended Bennington School of the Dance. He went to Bennington from 1938 to 1940, and while there he learned about modern dance, and founded an interest in German modern dance in particular. This was likely why Wigman (a prominent German modern choreographer) resonated so well with Nikolais, though not because of the emotional aspect so closely followed by Graham and others- he was interested in the theatrics and the form of the dancers. This founded his philosophy of movement, which is heavily incorporated into his dance