The Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique. A Philosophy and Method of Modern Dance including The Unique Gesture (review)

Although relatively unknown in the United Kingdom, Alwin Nikolais (Nik)and Murray Louis made an international impact on contemporary dance, as American choreographers and dance educators. As 'modern dance' artists, they were extraordinary. As teachers, they were clear, purposeful and inspiring. This book is a tribute to their legacy, a comprehensive philosophical and pragmatic approach to contemporary dance pedagogy, written in a simple, direct style that addresses the reader as student, teacher, choreographer and performer.

Louis describes the Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique as a basic technique, applicable to any form of dance or performance using movement. Focussing on dance fundamentals, which align historically and theoretically with the workof Rudolph Laban, Mary Wigman and Hanya Holm, Louis explains why and how this technique maintains a composite approach to teaching and learning, through a daily integrated programme of dance technique, improvisation and composition (choreography). Aligning subject matter and method allows teaching to focus on the acquisition of dance artistry through shared knowledge and experiential processes that encourage the student to develop individually and holistically. In presenting dance education with the aim of self-realisation, Louis provides an appealing rationale for inclusivity and differentiation in dance study, one that regards the intelligent potential to change career as an outcome of training.

The text is divided into three sections, which clarify the philosophy underlying the technique and provide useful methodologies in planning classes. Nikolais's writing in Definitions is astute and forthright, defining his ideas and theories; unlike current dance scholarship perhaps, the writing reflects significant aesthetic, cultural and political aspects of modernism. Alternatively, attributes of current trends in somatic, performance and choreographic processes seem implicit in sections of The Unique Gesture, decentralisation, and Sensory Perception. In Creating – Improvisation and Composition, Louis discusses building students' ability to recognise, investigate and develop artistry through dance study. His experience and expertise are exacting. Straight talking and witty, his words reveal remarkable insight into teaching and learning, addressing class expectations, the need for clarity of perspective within active participation, observation and feedback processes and more. He explains how this approach leads to a constructive critical dialogue between teacher and student and acknowledges the challenges inherent in encouraging students to work freely, guided by attention to intent and rigour. Written with attention to detail and progression, The Class Manual attempts to cover the totality of this composite technique, explaining how engagement with dance essentials provides the groundwork for intelligent, sentient, practice. Louis reminds us that the technique is lifelong, dance artistry arising from depth of investigation. The book includes a DVD of short films from the 1970s, which introduce key elements of the text, with eloquent performances from former dancers and Louis himself. The photographs also help to capture some of the work visually in classes, rehearsals and performances. The inclusion of archival material is helpful, but additional visual material on would help those not already familiar with the technique.

The Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique attempts admirably to encapsulate an approach to dance about which little has been written. Interesting and accessible, it will appeal to dance teachers and students seeking to inform their practice, imaginatively and motionally. The book is a must have for artists with experience of this technique, as they are the likely source of its survival and development as a composite practice encouraging innovation and refinement in teaching, performance and choreographic practice.