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“Nikolais’ students, his company dancers, and his creative colleagues are deeply grateful for his generous giving of his vision and his artistry — to us and to the world. We thank Nik for being our teacher, guide, and inspiration.”  —Ruth E. Grauert |
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Bearnstow Journal offers articles on the Nikolais esthetic and the arts. Editor Ruth Grauert worked for Alwin Nikolais for forty years. She has created lighting designs for many dancers in that discipline. A published poet and essayist, Ms. Grauert is the executive director of Bearnstow, an arts and nature summer place in Mt. Vernon, Maine.
Bearnstow Journal is published by Bearnstow, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. The site’s development and maintenance are dependent on your tax-deductible contributions. You may contribute online though PayPal (PayPal membership not required); click PayPal button on the right. Or mail checks to Bearnstow, 83 Sanford Place, Jersey City, NJ 07307. See also
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The Lobster Quadrille (from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), music by Freda Miller, premiere November 19, 1949, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, for the New York Times Third Annual Boys & Girls Book Fair.
Pictured are Phyllis Lamhut (Alice) with Jack Spencer (Gryphon) and Frances Mortenghi (Mock Turtle), at other times played by Carl Morris and Betty Osgood.
To give his Playhouse students performing experience Nikolais produced dance plays for children. The first of these produced at the Playhouse was the Fable of the Donkey (Aesop) in 1948, followed by The Lobster Quadrille and numerous original works in the 1950s: Indian Sun, St. George and the Dragon, Tale of the Winds, and Merry-Go-Elsewhere.
In addition to the Playhouse, the plays were presented in school auditoriums throughout the Metropolitan area and in such prestigious venues as the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, and the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
See previously featured Historical Photos.
News and Announcements
A Message from K.J. Holmes
As some of you may know, I have been teaching for many summers at a unique and wonderful dance retreat in Maine, Bearnstow. Bearnstow has been run by Ruth Grauert since 1946, and Ruth still keeps it alive in its original beauty and spirit. I love going to Bearnstow. It is truly an antidote to the stressful world as well as a charge and inspiration toward the artist life we want to live.
This summer I will not be able to be there due to other commitments. I am writing as I want to encourage you to consider attending Bearnstow, especially the weeks of July 1–14 when the incomparable Sara Shelton Mann will be teaching. Sara is based in San Francisco and does not offer that many workshops on the East Coast. This is a rare opportunity to take advantage of her wisdom and her wealth of experience. And to do so in the setting of Bearnstow will be a most special time.
Please go to www.bearnstow.org for information on Bearnstow and on Sara’s workshop, which she will be co-teaching with Ruth. We’re looking at two incredible women who will lead an incredible experience in a hard-to-find setting. I hope you can take the time to do this.
Windy evening wishes,
K.J.
Bearnstow Interns Perform in Cuban Dance Festival
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 Emmanuel Becerra (left) and Nitzia Vieyra (right) with fellow dancers of the Fobos Contemporary Dance Company at the international dance festival in Havanna, Cuba |
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Nitzia writes: “All the shows are held in public and open spaces like squares, backyards, historic buildings such as museums, and even in the streets. You see dance events everywhere all day long. There is not a unique category of dance; you can see contemporary, urban styles like hip-hop and break dance, salsa, cumbia, traditional Cuban rhythms, acrobats, etc. There are also plenty of conferences, master classes by an international faculty, dance projections, and photographic exhibitions.”
The Fobos company danced in La Casa de Benito Juárez, a historic museum of Mexico in Havana. To learn more about this annual Cuban dance festival, see Festival Internacional de Danza en Paisajes Urbanos (in Spanish).
Nitzia returns for her fourth summer at Bearnstow. She is a graduate in dance from the University of Colima where she now teaches. Emmanuel Becerra, also a graduate of Colima, returns to Bearnstow for his second time, skipping last summer to perform as a guest dancer on tour with the José Limón Dance Company.
New DVD by Betsy Fisher:
German Lineage in Modern Dance
Solos by Wigman * Hoyer * Holm * Nikolais * Louis
This pioneering new DVD release celebrates the legacy of modern dance that started in Germany before World War I and expanded into new dimensions in the United States in the late 20th century. The influence of this complex and compelling heritage has spanned decades and spread to diverse areas globally. German Lineage in Modern Dance is a presentation of solos, performed by Betsy Fisher, that share heritage from the German lineage in contemporary dance.
Betsey Fisher was a member of the Murray Louis Dance Company from 1980 to 1988. Her choreography has been presented in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and New Zealand. She is Professor of Dance at University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Promotional flyer from Dancetime Publications (PDF).
YouTube video clip excerpts from German Lineage in Modern Dance.
To order this DVD, go to Dancetime Publications.
A Cartoon by Les Ditson
While on tour in 1973 in Oklahoma with the Murray Louis Dance Company, Les Ditson drew a cartoon especially for the Nikolais Dance Theater company members, who were on tour at the same time in South America. He recently disovered copies of it in his computer and sent it along. For those of us who were around at that time (and even for those who were not), there are bound to be some company members you recognize!
Click image to expand to full size.
For identification of persons download the Key (PDF)
Download a PDF copy of the full-size drawing.
Helen Kent Nicoll and Joe Zina Still Dancing
Helen writes:
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Joe is currently in Buenos Aires with his husband and dance partner Bernie Toale, dancing Argentine Tango morning, noon, and night. For the past three years they have relocated to Buenos Aires for three months to study and dance tango constantly. Their home base is Boston where there is a large tango community.
The photo on the left is of Joe and me in Berlin this fall. The right photo is from my last Pro-Am competition with my partner/teacher Lukas Chockuba. I have studied with Lukas for four years now, and we compete as a Pro-Am couple. Having won my last competition in the Closed Gold category, I am now working on the most difficult level of competition in this division. Anyone who went to Phyllis Lamhut’s surprise 75th birthday party saw him dance with his then professional partner.
This March I will be travelling to Buenos Aires to join Joe and Bernie and to dance Argentine Tango till we drop or break!
- June 11–22, New York City (class location to be announced)
- Faculty: Alberto del Saz, Phyllis Lamhut, Kim Gibilisco, and Peter Kyle
- Course includes Nikolais/Louis Technique, Improvisation, Composition, and Repertory
- Schudule: 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m, Monday–Friday, with special presentations on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
- For more information and application form, go to Nikolais/Louis Summer Dance Intensive
Nikolais/Louis Foundation Dance Summer Intensive 2012
We recently learned of the death of Martha Howe Gogel on August 11. She studied with Alwin Nikolais at the Henry Street Playhouse in 1949, and is pictured in photos on the Histortical Photos page. She was the cofounder of Land’s Sake, an organization whose mission is to connect people to the land. See obituary.
In Memoriam ~ Annelise Mertz, 1918–2011
Professor Emerita, Performing Arts Department, Washington Univerity, St. Louis, Annelise Mertz was a celebrated teacher, performer, choreographer, and champion for the arts. See obituary and memorial service tribute.
Essays
With Susan Buirge’s The Laurel Leaf we open a new section in Bearnstow Journal — Essays. Susan’s essay details a path to creating a dance and in the final paragraphs describes thoughts during performance.
The Alwin Nikolais Centennial Alumni Concerts
The Nikolais Centennial Alumni Concerts, produced by Bearnstow, were held at Hunter College in New York City on December 3 and 4, 2010. See slide show of photos and program.
The Nikolais Centennial Souvenir Booklet, created especially for the Alumni Concerts held at Hunter College in New York City on December 3 and 4, 2010, is offered post-paid for $10 (or $7.60 for Nikolais-Louis alumni). The Booklet contains previously unpublished pictures of Nik at work, plus photos and bios of the concert participants. Purchase it online.
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 Composite photograph for Art of Motion, Coppelia, children’s production, 2008 |
On June, 2010, the artwork of Ruth Grauert was on display in the Alumni Weekend Art Exhibition at her alma mater, Ursinus College. Viewers were treated to a slideshow of cyclorama projections Ruth has created for dances she has designed. The images have been made a permanent part of the Berman Museum of Art collection on the college campus. See a review of Ruth’s exhibit by Virginia (Laidlaw) Dillon and an online version of the slide show: Décor for Dance.
Alwin Nikokais Centennial Celebration, 1910–2010
See photos of From the Horse’s Mouth: Remembering Nik, held at the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse (Abrons Art Center) on April 30, 2010. Slide show photos by Lynn Lesniak and links to photos by Joe Zina and Whitney Browne.
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 Ruth and Susan in Japan |
In December 2009, Ruth visited long-time Nikolais alum Susan Buirge in Japan, where Susan is now studying the choregraphic process of Kagura. See Ruth’s report and photos: Ten Days in Japan.
Report from the Field — Suzy McDermaid Fridell and “The Magnum Force”
Suzy McDermaid Fridell (Nikolais ’69–’78) reports on her annual production number for the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction.” See The Magnum Force.
The Conference on the Nikolais Aesthetic
Held at Bearnstow in Mount Vernon, Maine, in August 2009, the Conference on the Nikolais Aesthetic brought together a wide range of Nikolais alums to explore various aspects of his teaching and to share their experiences with Nik. See more on the Conference.
- Essays on the art of Alwin Nikolais, by Ruth E. Grauert, comprise Volume I. Included are Nikolais’ use of light, sound, properties, and motion; a comparison between Nikolais and the Bauhaus; and a brief historic overview and current thought on stage lighting and dance. Go to the Index of Volume I articles.
- Essays on Mary Wigman: Volume II of Bearnstow Journal is devoted to essays on Mary Wigman. These include Wigman’s own article on her early experience with Rudolph von Laban, Susan Buirge’s interview with Hanya Holm about Hanya’s early experiences at the Wigman School, Joan Woobury’s and Beverly Blossom’s accounts of their school year with Wigman in Berlin, reprints of Joan Woodbury’s 1956 articles on Wigman from Dance Observer, notes from Peggy Chambers, Julie Hamilton Pleus, and John Wilson, and finally excerpts from Mary Wigman’s letters to Joan Woodbury from 1957 to 1970.
- A Dance Course Curriculum by Dale Thompson. Dale Thompson (NDT 1978–1983) has developed a sixteen-week dance curriculum, which also includes a comprehensive reading list. Click for more information and downloading links.
Journal Articles
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  Alwin NIkolias and Ruth Grauert in a lighting rehearsal for Vaudeville of the Elements at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in 1965 |
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The Chatterbox
Read the e-mail discussion forum of former Nikolais/Louis dancers, students, and technical staff members.
Special Links on This Site
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You may submit articles, contributions to The Chatterbox, and poetry for inclusion on this site by e-mail to Ruth Grauert. Please include a short biography and any other information you may consider pertinent. This Web site (BearnstowJournal.org) is maintained by Jim Van Abbema, who was associated as sound engineer and stage manager / technical director with the Nikolais and Louis companies from 1968 to 1975. He is currently a Webmaster and copy editor. For questions about this Web site, e-mail Jim. Kay Anderson, Coral (Martindale) Aubert, Gladys Bailin, Tandy Beal, Anne Sherman Berry, Bob Beswick, Dorothy Scott Bostwick, Janet Connor, Kitty Cunningham, Virginia Dillon, Louise Eckerson, Suzy McDermaid Freidell, Mimi Garrard, Claudia Gitelman, Sheila Mason Gonzales, Jan Justis, Paul Lawton, Patricia Mayer, Mark Needle, Helen Kent Nicoll, Sara Pearson, Chris Reisner, Frances (Goldie) Stone, and Joan Woodbury have helped us maintain the Bearnstow Journal over this past year. All images and written material on Bearnstow Journal are copyrighted. Reproduction of any item from this site is prohibited without prior written permission from Bearnstow. |