Invention in Dance

Mr. Alwin Nikolais and Miss Myers discuss the dancer’s need to say something new in terms of his medium, and the resulting break with the classical forms which was pioneered by Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis. Film clips show Miss St. Denis’ famous dance “Rhada,” and one of Miss Duncan’s students demonstrating some of Miss Duncan’s techniques. Finally, Mr. Nikolais and his troupe present examples of modern techniques to express ideas such as fear, love, height, and weight. They perform excerpts from four of the concert pieces they have created.

Related films

Sources

  1. 16mm Filmography (legacy record) — title, year, format, genre, description, catalog record