Figures of Modern Dance: Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis

Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis are some of the most respected names in modern dance. Known for their collaborative projects, as well as Nikolais’ concept of “total theater”, the two worked together and independently to create unique and striking performances. Their creative and artistic achievements gained an international reputation, as well as allowing them to train a future generation of influential dancers, ensuring their legacy for years to come. 

The future of the Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais Dance Collection

Included in the Collection are thousands of video and audio tapes and reels. These pieces of media cannot easily be played or digitized by library staff. To assess the condition of the tapes and reels and prepare them for digitization the Libraries applied for a National Endowment of the Humanities $50,000 grant. This grant was awarded to the Libraries in 2022.

In 2022 and 2023 the Libraries employed the vendor Scene Savers to inventory and assess the condition of the audio-visual part of the Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Collection. At the end of 2023 the Libraries received a lengthy report from Scene Savers detailing condition and subject information about different types of media and providing a guide to digitization prioritization.

In addition to assessing the physical media in the collection, the grant also allowed staff to begin a formal collaboration with past members of the Nikolais/Louis Dance Companies. The Libraries is looking to these subject experts to identify people and performances from already digitized images. Utilizing remote meetings and the transcription program FromThePage, Library staff can integrate feedback and suggestions to enhance image descriptions.

Although this critical work has begun, it is still long from finished. The Libraries is hopeful it will be able to continue this project by digitizing this fragile media to preserve it and the Nikolais/Louis legacy for future generations.

To read more about the NEH grant award see  this announcement  from the University Libraries.


Sources used

Credits

This project was created and written by Maddie James, BS and BA '24, History and Visual Communications - Publication Design, Digital Initiatives Assistant, Ohio University Libraries.

All content courtesy of the Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Preservation & Digital Initiatives Dept., Ohio University Libraries via its Digital Archives at   https://media.library.ohio.edu   

Greta Suiter, Manuscripts Archivist at Ohio University, also contributed to this project.

Special thanks to Erin Wilson, Digital Imaging Specialist and Lab Manager. Janet Carleton, Digital Initiatives Coordinator, and lorraine Wochna, Performing Arts Librarian, all from Ohio University Libraries, for their assistance on this project.