Lecture 8

Question 1

how did alwin nikolais begin his career

Answer 1

as a musician and puppeteer

Question 2

who did alwin nikolais study with

Answer 2

hanya holm at bennington college

Question 3

what was the basis of alwin nikolaiss approach to choreography

Answer 3

holms technique

- exploration of space, time, and energy

Question 4

alwin nikolaiss company

Answer 4

alwin nikolais dance company

Question 5

3 major characteristics of alwin nikolais’s work

Answer 5

total theatre
subject matter
use of improvisation

Question 6

total theatre

Answer 6

creates a unity of music, lighting, set design, costumes, and movement

Question 7

what did alwin nikolais create for his works

Answer 7

the movement, music, lighting, set, and costumes

Question 8

alwin nikolaiss lighting designs

Answer 8

extremely innovative

• first to project photographic images onto dancers (erases outlines that separate dancer from environment)
• first to use black light (picks up fluorescence on costume)

Question 9

what did alwin nikolais create onstage

Answer 9

magical illusions

Question 10

what made possible the lighting effects that alwin nikolais developed

Answer 10

modern technology

Question 11

what did alwin nikolais always monitor

Answer 11

the events occurring onstage during the performance

Question 12

alwin nikolaiss subject matter

Answer 12

non-narrative and not expressing emotion

- abstract (though sometimes representational)

Question 13

what did alwin nikolaiss subject matter react to

Answer 13

the use of psychodrama that dominated during modern dance

Question 14

who used psychodrama

Answer 14

graham
limon
sokolow

Question 15

dancers in alwin nikolais

Answer 15

sometimes genderless, all dressed in similar costumes

• sometimes accused of dehumanizing them
• preferred to call them depersonalized

Question 16

alwin nikolais costumes

Answer 16

sometimes completely enclosed the dancers

Question 17

how did alwin nikolais want to portray individual dancers

Answer 17

as beings in an environment, rather than those with human personalities

Question 18

what 2 main categories does alwin nikolaiss work fall into

Answer 18

theatrical and abstract

Question 19

theatrical category that alwin nikolais work falls into

Answer 19

props, costumes, magical lighting, focus on the dancers within an environment

Question 20

abstract category that alwin nikolais work falls into

Answer 20

flesh coloured costumes so dancers appear naked, focus on the movement of the dancer

Question 21

alwin nikolaiss use of improvisation

Answer 21

all his dances were created from improv

• once the movement was set nothing changed
• no chance element in performance

Question 22

alwin nikolais is ____ choreographer

Answer 22

an abstractionist

Question 23

video: jerome robbins

Answer 23

excerpts from his personal journals, archival performance footage, and never-before-seen rehearsal recordings, as well as interviews with Robbins himself and over forty witnesses

Question 24

jerome robbins

Answer 24

master of broadway musicals

• ballet choreographer
• contradictory and controversial

Question 25

jerome robbins works

Answer 25

westside story, gypsy, peter pan

Question 26

video: jose limon limon - a life beyond words

Answer 26

Limón’s life story is unveiled and the film also combines interviews with family members and colleagues, archival photographs, and archival and contemporary performances.

Question 27

video: anna sokolow - choreographer

Answer 27

Sokolow speaks about her long career as footage of historical stills and film clips shows. The film contains rehearsal shots of her famous piece Rooms.

Question 28

video: alwin nikolais - the world of alwin nikoalis

Answer 28

his works, crucible, and men’s duet from the mechanical organ