What type of performance environment did Alwin Nikolais like to create for his dance works?
Nikolais employed lights, slides, electronic music, and stage props to create environments through which dancers moved and, more important, into which they blended (Dance Magazine, 1968).
What was Alwin Nikolais known for?
For nearly sixty years, Alwin Nikolais was modern dance’s pioneer of multimedia. Among his best known performances are “Masks, Props, and Mobiles” (1953), “Totem” (1960), and “Count Down” (1979).
Whose technique was based on contraction and release and on breath and oppositional force?
Graham technique
Graham technique is based on the opposition between contraction and release, a concept based on the breathing cycle which has become a “trademark” of modern dance forms.
What city is considered the center of modern dance quizlet?
He chose to work in California instead of New York City, which was considered the center of modern dance at the time.
When did Alwin Nikolais start dancing?
Initially a silent-film accompanist and puppeteer, Nikolais began his study of dance in about 1935 with Truda Kaschmann, a former student of modern dancer Mary Wigman, to understand Wigman’s use of percussion accompaniment.
What is the difference between modern and contemporary dance?
Modern dance is a style deprived of the restrictions of classical ballet that focuses on free interpretations derived from inner emotions. Contemporary dance is a specific genre of concert dance that concerns non-choreographic movements influenced by compositional philosophy.
What was Katherine Dunham famous for?
Katherine Dunham was an African-American dancer and choreographer, producer, author, scholar, anthropologist and Civil Rights activist. She had one of the most successful dance careers in Western dance theatre in the 20th century and directed her own dance company for many years.
Is Butoh a classical dance?
While butoh does not have a codified classical technique rigidly adhered to within an authoritative controlled lineage, Hijikata Tatsumi did have a substantive methodical body of movement techniques called Butoh Fu.
Who was Alwin Nikolais influenced by?
Mary Wigman
He was inspired to study dance after attending a performance by the illustrious German dancer, Mary Wigman. Alwin Nikolais received his early dance training at Bennington College in Vermont from the great figures of the modern dance world: Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman, and others.