Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis were collaborators for over forty years who transformed the world's understanding of dance theater. Nikolais, awarded a Kennedy Center National Medal of Honor in 1987, died in 1993. Louis wrote two previous books on dance as well as a monthly column for Dance Magazine. He has lectured and toured throughout the world, produced a series of dance videos, and continues to serve as artistic director of the Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Company. He lives in New York City.
Biography of Alwin Nikolais
Biography of Murray Louis
Introduction
SECTION I Definitions
Basic Dance
Vision of a New Technique
Decentralization
Grain
Gravity and Verticality
The Psyche
Stasis
Dynamics and Energies
Sensory Perception
Movement Range
Three Conditions of Energy
SECTION II Creating Improvisation and Composition
Defining Improvisation
Gestalt
Nature and Art
The Language of Criticism
Composition
SECTION III The Class Manual
Introduction to the Classes
The Body as an Instrument
The Dimensional Concept
Alignment
The Stretches
Up and Down Vertical The Plié
Across the Floor
Week 1 Locomotion and Dimensions
Week 2- Isolating Body Parts (Isolations)
Week 3- Body Parts (Continued)
Week 4 Levels
Week 5 The Joints and Joint Action
Week 6 Rotary Action
Week 7 Grain and Density
Week 8- Gravity and Upward Willpower
Week 9- Swing
Centripetal
and Centrifugal Momentum
Week 10 Undercurves
Week 11 Overcurves and Mirror Action
Major Principles of Dance (The Big Four)
Week 12 Space Volume and Peripheral
Week 13 Time
Week 14 Shape
Motion
Week 15- Motion
Week 16- Abstraction
Week 17- Review Technique
Week 18 Realism to Abstraction
Week 19 Diagonals
Week 20 Circles
Week 21 Falls
Week 22 Suspension Points
Week 23 Percussion and Prop Extension
Week 24 Lyricism
Adjuncts to Choreographic and Performing Skills
Week 25 The Showing: Performance
Consonance and Summation
A Brief Review
