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63-655: Contributors from the world of modern American dance included Alwin Nikolais , Murray Louis and Ruth Page Among its writers were Lewis John Carlino and Robert Herridge . This article relating to a drama television series in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Alwin Nikolais Alwin Nikolais (November 25, 1910 – May 8, 1993) was an American choreographer , dancer, composer, musician, and teacher. He had created

126-406: A barefoot dance technique. He preferred it for practical reasons, viewing the muscular and tactile functions of bare feet as essential to the total body. He worked to incorporate this into the body design of the dancer's costumes, sometimes making the device a primary part of the design concept. For example, in "Discs," dancers wore colored aluminum discs on one of their feet. In addition to extending

189-509: A century later. In 2008, ten Frankish sarcophagi from that period were discovered where Saint-Morille church once stood during the tramway construction. From the 850s, Angers suffered from its situation on the border with Brittany and Normandy . In September 851, Charles the Bald and Erispoe , a Breton chief, met in the town to sign the Treaty of Angers , which secured Breton independence and fixed

252-506: A commission to create Eight Column Line , his first ballet. After teaching two years at his own dance studio and touring the United States with Hanya Holm 's company, Nikolais did active duty in the United States Army during World War II . Nikolais relocated to New York City following the war and resumed studying with Hanya Holm. Eventually, he became Holm's assistant, teaching at her New York school and at Colorado College during

315-399: A dancer's base and range of balance, they also added vertical extension. Shape, color, and material provided both visual and auditory elements. In "Stratus and Nimbus" and "Scenario," dancers wore sound-producing fiberboard circles on their feet, altering the dancer's movement to create aural effects. Nikolais placed great emphasis on sensory experience through which a dancer's dynamic action

378-620: A high natural potential, notably highlighted by the Saint-Aubin island, situated north of the center and covering a tenth of the city total surface. Protected, the island is formed of swamps and natural meadows. The oldest green areas date back from the Renaissance , when the moats of the castle were transformed into pleasure and kitchen gardens. Similar gardens were built by the aristocracy around their hôtels particuliers and physic garden were planted in hospices cloisters. The Jardin des plantes,

441-504: A marina. In 2010, a large amusement park, Terra Botanica , was inaugurated close to Saint-Aubin island. The first sign of human presence in Angers dates back to around 400,000 BC. Vestiges from the Neolithic are more abundant and include numerous polished stone axes. Burials from 4500  x  3500 BC were also discovered on the castle grounds. During the 5th century BC,

504-505: A musical composer to design his own score for choreography using electronic tape. At the Henry Street Playhouse (now Abrons Arts Center ), a seven speaker system was used to play the score from throughout the room, giving it dimensions of time and space. Combining cast, lighting and music with modern dance techniques gained him a world-wide reputation for theatrical arts. Nikolais received high honors from New York State Council on

567-626: A name by which it also appears in the Tabula Peutingeriana . The name is a compound of the Latin name Julius (probably in reference to Julius Caesar ) and the Celtic magos , "market". Similar town dedications were common in Roman Gaul , and toponyms often kept a Gallic element. When the location needed to be distinguished from other Juliomagi, it was known as Juliomagus Andecavorum ("Juliomagus of

630-413: A section from Masks, Props, and Mobiles . He avoided overused themes like psychosexuality, good against evil, or heroes and heroines. Instead, he chose to move away from the life of the individual and focus on group action. He preferred also to develop his own style of movement, and not to replicate the moves of previous periods or other choreographers. He expanded the use of music in dance from being mainly

693-434: A traveler moving across the stage would hide a crossing and simultaneously create a volume of motion. His 1953 production Masks, Props, and Mobiles is credited with creating and popularizing modern multimedia theater (Mazo, Joseph). Some critics refused to categorize Nikolais’ work as dance, for example when he transformed the bodies of dancers by covering them in plastic bags that would stretch and change shapes in “Noumenon,”

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756-502: A way of marking time or adding emotional value to a way to create new sounds to add to his new theatrical environments. He was among the first customers for the newly developed Moog synthesizer in 1964. Nikolais' artistic mandate was for meaning to be conveyed strictly through movement. He characterized his stage presentations as "decentralizing" the dancer, so that humans were only one of the theatrical elements on stage. Nikolais despised modern dance's obsession with self. Nikolais used

819-557: A young artist, he gained skills in scenic design, acting, puppetry and music composition. It was after attending a performance by the German dancer Mary Wigman that he was inspired to study dance. He received his early dance training at Bennington College from the great figures of the modern dance world: Hanya Holm , Martha Graham , Doris Humphrey , Charles Weidman , Louis Horst , and others. In 1939, in collaboration with Truda Kaschmann, his first modern dance teacher, Nikolais received

882-466: Is also 118 km (73 mi) far from Pornic , the closest sea resort, situated on the Atlantic Ocean . Elevation varies 12 to 64 meters (39 to 210 ft) above sea level . Angers is a hilly town, particularly marked by a rocky promontory dominating the lower valley of Anjou . This was the site of the ancient city and still houses the town's castle , cathedral , and medieval quarters. At

945-611: Is conveyed to the audience. He emphasized that perception of one area can be emphasized by deliberately blocking out consciousness in other unwanted areas. In the 1950s Nikolais used blackface, whiteface, and colored makeup both to create and prevent sensory blocking, manipulating perceptions of race in dances such as Prism and Imago . In using makeup in this way, he was concerned with design, rather than creating character. Nikolais used lighting extensively, directing light from multiple directions and levels and using it to create shape, space, and silhouettes. He returned to his early work as

1008-539: Is made up of 29 communes covering 667 square kilometers (258 square miles) with 299,500 inhabitants (2018). Not including the broader metropolitan area, Angers is the third most populous commune in northwestern France after Nantes and Rennes and the 18th most populous commune in France. For centuries, Angers was an important stronghold in northwestern France. It was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and became one of

1071-679: Is still dominated by the massive château of the Plantagenêts , home of the Apocalypse Tapestry , the biggest medieval tapestry ensemble in the world. Angers is also both at the edge of the Val de Loire , a World Heritage Site , and the Loire-Anjou-Touraine regional natural park . The city is first mentioned by Ptolemy around AD 150 in his Geography . It was then known as Juliomagus ( Ancient Greek : Ἰουλιόμαγος , Iouliómagos ),

1134-545: Is successively mentioned as Andecava civitas (6th century), Andecavis (AD 769), Andegavis (861  -  882), Angieus (in 1127) and Angeus (in 1205). The form Angiers appeared during the 12th century and was later corrupted to "Angers". The Latin Andecavum also gave Anjou its name. This double formation is quite common in France and is also seen in Poitiers and Poitou , and Bourges and Berry . Angers

1197-659: The CBS Repertoire Workshop . Following the Audio Engineering Society convention, in October 1964, Nikolais saw and immediately placed an order for the first Moog analog synthesizer system. With the company's 1968 Paris season at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées , Nikolais' impact on dance grew internationally and the company began performing around the world. In 1971, his company began an artistic relationship with

1260-547: The 1939–1945 War Cross and since then, the decoration is sometimes placed between the two fleurs de lys. Angers also had several mottos through its history: Angers is located at the geographical center of the Maine-et-Loire department, on the road ( A11 autoroute , L'Océane ) which connects Paris to the Atlantic Ocean . The city is situated just south of the confluence of the Loir , Mayenne and Sarthe , which form together

1323-605: The Andecavi "), in reference to the principal Gallic tribe in and around the city. Around AD 400, the city came to be referred to as the civitas Andecavorum (" tribal capital of the Andecavi"). This was a common change in Gaul, also seen in the names of Paris , Tours and Évreux around this time. During the Middle Ages, the late Latin name gradually developed into the modern one. It

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1386-588: The Andecavi , a Celtic people, settled north of the Loire . By the end of the Iron Age , Angers was a relatively densely populated hillfort . While the settlement's Roman name—Juliomagus—may be older, it is only attested from the 3rd century. The Roman town consisted of many villas and baths and had an amphitheater as well as a Mithraeum , a temple dedicated to Mithra . Successive Germanic invasions in AD ;275 and 276 forced

1449-609: The Angers castle stands. The urban structure there dates back from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. A military presence there was attested from the 3rd century and some remains of an antique city wall are still visible on the castle grounds. This wall was built to protect the city from the Germanic invasions of AD 275 and 276. During the Middle Ages, the castle was the core of the city's defence system, composed of tall city walls and river chains which prevented enemy ships from going up

1512-744: The Black Death (1347–1350) and the Hundred Years War (1337–1453). A man of great culture and generosity, René transformed Angers into a cultural and political center and held court there. He transformed the castle moat into a menagerie and built several gardens. He also founded in Angers a new Ordre du Croissant which was supposed to compete with the Order of the Golden Fleece , created several years earlier. In 1474, Louis XI of France , in his attempt to conquer Anjou, came to Angers with his army, asking for

1575-462: The Communauté urbaine Angers Loire Métropole . All these peripheral communes are situated within 17 km (11 mi) from Angers proper. Together, they have around 272,400 inhabitants. Angers has an oceanic climate , with moderate rain year-round. Winters have scarce frosts and snowfalls, and summers are warm and sunny. The oldest streets and buildings in Angers are located on the promontory where

1638-521: The Gladys Bailin papers - a student of Nikolais, dancer in the Nikolais Dance Company, and Distinguished Professor of dance at Ohio University. Angers Angers ( UK : / ˈ ɒ̃ ʒ eɪ / , US : / ɒ̃ ˈ ʒ eɪ , ˈ æ n dʒ ər z / ; French: [ɑ̃ʒe] ) is a city in western France , about 300 km (190 mi) southwest of Paris . It is

1701-726: The Kennedy Center Honors , conferred during a three-day round of official Washington events, which culminated in a CBS telecast featuring the Nikolais Dance Theater. He received the City of Paris' highest honor, the Grande Medaille de Vermeille de la Ville de Paris , as well as medals from Seville , Spain, Athens , Greece, and 30 other cities both foreign and national as well as a special citation from New York City's Mayor, which he shared with Murray Louis. Often referred to as

1764-675: The Mayenne . It was the aldermen who stopped the slaughter. In 1598, the Edict of Nantes was prepared by Henri IV in Angers. From 6 March until 2 April, Angers was the de facto capital of France and the King tried all means to satisfy the Catholics of the city, for example by laying the cornerstone of the new Capucine convent. In 1619, Louis XIII of France gave the governance of Anjou to his mother, Marie de' Medici . The Queen Mother settled in Angers, at

1827-836: The PBS series American Masters . His work Tensile Involvement is featured in the opening of Robert Altman’s film The Company . Nikolais was renowned as a teacher, and his pedagogy is taught in schools and universities throughout the world. He died of cancer May 8, 1993, in New York and is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Nikolais employed lights, slides, electronic music, and stage props to create environments through which dancers moved and, more importantly, into which they blended (Dance Magazine, 1968). He would commonly use props with aesthetic as well as functional purposes; for instance,

1890-460: The Second World War , several large council estates made of tower blocks were built around the city center, the first of them being Belle-Beille in 1953. Industrial activity changed drastically: port activity declined while new factories, such as Technicolor SA in 1957, were built. During the 1970s, the collective approach to urban development gave way to more individual houses being built for

1953-658: The Théâtre de la Ville which continues to the present day. In 1978, the French National Ministry of Culture invited him to form the Centre Nationale de la Danse Contemporaine in Angers , France. In December 1980, he created his 99th choreographic work, Schéma , for the Paris Opera . At the same time, his choreography for an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti was being staged at the Vienna Staatsoper . Nikolais

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2016-953: The Tiffany Award ; and the American Dance Guild Award. Nikolais’ first production, after the creation of the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse (now Abrons Arts Center ), was called Kaleidoscope (1953), and premiered at the American Dance Festival . A few of his over one hundred choreographic pieces are listed here. The Ohio University Libraries in Athens, Ohio is home to the Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis Dance Collection . An archival collection containing films, photographs, posters, awards, programs, reviews, and musical recordings. Ohio University also holds

2079-444: The middle class . As the metropolitan area continued to grow, commuting became more common. New shopping areas were constructed close to the villages which had been subsumed into the city. Because of the floodplains that surround the city north and south, Angers can only grow significantly on an east–west axis. Being both at the edge of the Val de Loire World Heritage site and on the largest river confluence in France, Angers has

2142-490: The plant sector: Végépolys is Europe's leading horticultural competitiveness cluster, and the city is also home to the headquarters of the Community Plant Variety Office. In addition, the Angers metropolitan area is a major economic centre in western France, particularly active in industry and tourism. Angers enjoys a rich cultural life, made possible by its universities and museums. The old medieval center

2205-508: The prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution . The inhabitants of both the city and the province are called Angevins or, more rarely, Angeriens . Angers proper covers 42.70 square kilometers (16.5 sq mi) and has a population of 154,508 inhabitants, while around 432,900 live in its metropolitan area ( aire d'attraction ). The Angers Loire Métropole

2268-602: The province of Anjou . During the 12th century, after internal divisions in Brittany , the county of Nantes was annexed by Anjou . Henry II Plantagenêt kept it for more than 30 years. The grandson of Henry I of England , he also succeeded to the English crown and ruled the vast Angevin Empire , which stretched from the Pyrenees to Ireland . The castle of Angers was then the seat of

2331-673: The American Patriarch of French modern dance, Nikolais is a knight of France's Legion of Honor and a commander of the Order of Arts and Letters . In 2000, he was inducted into the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame . His accolades from the world of arts and letters included the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award; the Capezio Award ; Circulo Criticos Award , Chile ; Emmy Citation Award ; Dance Magazine Award (1968);

2394-457: The Arts , Hofstra University , Rutgers University , Duke University , Hunter College , and Brigham Young University . Nikolais was known amongst colleagues and peers as shy and reserved. He allowed his partner Murray Louis to deal with public affairs, preferring to focus on his school and theatre. Nikolais was renowned as a teacher, and his pedagogy is taught in schools and universities throughout

2457-638: The Court and the dynasty. The Empire disappeared in 1204–1205 when the King of France, Philip II , seized Normandy and Anjou. Henceforth, there were no more counts of Anjou , as the French king had made Anjou a dukedom. Now a part of the Kingdom of France , Angers became the "Key to the Kingdom" ( Clé du Royaume ) facing still independent Brittany . In 1228, during Louis IX 's minority, Blanche of Castile decided to fortify

2520-596: The Logis Barrault, with her chaplain, Cardinal Richelieu . At the premature death of Louis XIII in 1643, his son Louis XIV was only an infant. France was troubled at this time by several famines and epidemics, and by political instability. In 1649, the people of Angers revolted against rising taxes, the start of the Fronde in Anjou . The Fronde was a nationwide military conflict opposing some aristocrats wanting more autonomy and

2583-621: The Maine. The walls were last reconstructed between 1230 and 1240, by order of King Louis IX . Today, portions of the wall are still visible in Rue Toussaint and on Boulevard Carnot, as are some towers, like the Tour Villebon and the Tour des Anglais . Before the first cadastre (1810), the city had not extended much beyond its medieval limits: on and around the castle promontory, with some dwellings on

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2646-399: The Nikolais Dance Theater was invited to its first of many appearances at the American Dance Festival . With this, and a number of appearances on television’s The Steve Allen Show , his total dance theatre began to take shape, and the company established itself at the forefront of American contemporary dance. In the 1960s his choreographic artistry was showcased on live network television for

2709-519: The Nikolais Dance Theatre, and was known for his self-designed innovative costume, lighting and production design. Nikolais gave the world a new vision of dance and was named the "father of multi-media theater." Nikolais was born on November 25, 1910, in Southington, Connecticut . He studied piano at an early age and began his performing career as an organist accompanying silent films. As

2772-653: The Royal forces loyal to Anne of Austria as Queen Mother and Regent, and her prime minister, Cardinal Mazarin . Royalist repression in Angers was narrowly averted by Bishop Henri Arnauld , who interceded with the Queen Mother. Arnauld, who would remain Bishop of Angers until 1692, was to leave a deep mark on the religious life of the city during the second half of the 17th century. In 1652, Henri Chabot , Duke of Rohan and governor of Anjou , decided to back Louis of Condé , leader of

2835-533: The borders of Brittany . However, the situation remained dangerous for Angers, and Charles the Bald created in 853 a wide buffer zone around Brittany comprising parts of Anjou , Touraine , Maine and Sées , which was ruled by Robert the Strong , a great-grandfather of Hugh Capet . In 870, the Viking chief Hastein seized Angers where he settled until a successful siege temporarily displaced him. He again took control of

2898-517: The city and to rebuild the castle. Later, during the 1350s and 1360s, the schools of Law, Medicine and Theology, renowned in Europe , were organized into a university. In 1373, Louis I of Naples and Anjou ordered the six tapestries illustrating the Apocalypse of St John known today as the Apocalypse Tapestry . King René of Anjou contributed to the economic revival in a city that had been diminished by

2961-494: The eastern bank of the Maine, where the former Juliomagus had been founded. The medieval city center was redeveloped and expanded from 1791. The Place du Ralliement , the main square, was then built in place of three churches destroyed during the French Revolution and, later, ring boulevards planted with trees replaced the city walls. The architectural style used is mainly Haussmanian , but there are also some Palladian , Art Nouveau or Art Deco buildings. After 1945 and

3024-454: The first botanical garden , dates back from the beginning of the 18th century. During the 19th century, others were built, for example the Faculty of Pharmacy garden and the Roseraie. The first recreational parks, for their part, were built during the Second French Empire . The étang Saint-Nicolas , made by a sluice on a small river, the Brionneau, was protected as early as 1936. The Jardin du Mail ( Mall Garden ), an esplanade situated outside

3087-412: The inhabitants to move to the highest point of their city and to build a wall around a small area of around 9 hectares (22 acres). Angers received its first bishop in 372 during the election of Martin of Tours . The first abbey, Saint-Aubin, was built during the 7th century to house the sarcophagus of Saint Albinius . Saint-Serge Abbey was founded by the Merovingian kings Clovis II and Theuderic III

3150-417: The intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of René of Anjou . Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers, the Mayenne , the Sarthe , and the Loir , all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire . Their confluence, just north of Angers, creates the Maine , a short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometres south. Today, Angers stands out for its specialization in

3213-424: The key evokes the stronghold position of the city close to the Breton border. An acrostic from the Middle Ages calls it Antique clef de France , which means "Ancient key to France": Under Napoleon I 's rule, Angers was one of the "Bonnes villes" and was therefore allowed to ask for a new coat of arms. The bees, symbol of the First French Empire , then replaced the royal fleurs de lys. In 1949, Angers received

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3276-416: The keys of the city. René, then 65 years old, did not want to lead a war against his nephew and surrendered his domains without a fight. Thus, Anjou ceased to be an appanage and fell into the Royal domain. After his death, René was buried in 1480 in Saint-Maurice cathedral . In 1551, Angers became the seat of a bailiwick and the presidial court of a jurisdiction, a position the city kept until 1790. At

3339-446: The message as well as the medium". He stated "the Province of art is to explore the inner mechanisms and extra dimensional areas of life and, out of the exploration, to produce its findings translated into the form of the artist's media." It was also at Henry Street Playhouse that Nikolais was joined by Murray Louis , who was to become a driving force in the Playhouse Company, Nikolais' leading dancer and longtime collaborator. In 1956,

3402-632: The north and south, where the river Maine arrives in and leaves Angers, the landscape is formed by islands, ponds and floodplains which are a haven for birds and a typical flora of the Val de Loire . The étang Saint-Nicolas and Lac de Maine , both artificial, are among the biggest green areas of the city. The commune of Angers is bordered by ten other communes which form various suburbs. These are, clockwise, Avrillé , Cantenay-Épinard , Écouflant , Saint-Barthélemy-d'Anjou , Trélazé , Les Ponts-de-Cé , Sainte-Gemmes-sur-Loire , Bouchemaine and Beaucouzé . 22 other communes situated farther form with them

3465-475: The other bank of the Maine in a neighbourhood called La Doutre . That part of the city developed quickly during the industrial revolution and became a big river port. Industry was encouraged by firms like Bessonneau (textile factories) and Cointreau (distillery). After 1850, many suburbs appeared around the train stations and the slate quarries to the south in Trélazé . Despite the port in La Doutre, demographic growth and urban extension were more significant on

3528-410: The ring boulevards, was built between 1820 and 1880 on the former Champs de Mars (Fields of Mars, a place where the garrisons used to train and parade). Another esplanade, the Mail François Mitterrand , was built in 1999 together with a garden inside the new Saint-Serge business district. During the 1960s the old gravel pits around the Maine were filled with water to form the Lac de Maine, which now hosts

3591-422: The river Maine . The Maine crosses Angers and heads south towards the Loire . The confluence of the three rivers and the proximity of the Loire make up a natural crossroads which favoured the foundation of the antique Juliomagus . Angers is located 91 km (57 mi) from Nantes , 124 km (77 mi) from Rennes , 132 km (82 mi) from Poitiers and 297 km (185 mi) from Paris . It

3654-447: The same time, with the growth of Protestantism in France, a Catholic was placed at the head of the city and its castle while the bourgeoisie formed a Catholic militia to protect Angers from the Huguenots . The bishop, Gabriel Bouvery , organized on his side an "Angevin League". When the news of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre reached Angers, another massacre took place in the city. The bodies of slain Protestants were thrown into

3717-447: The summers. In 1949, Nikolais was appointed co-director of the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, alongside Betty Young. He formed the Playhouse Dance Company , which was later renamed the Nikolais Dance Theatre . It was at Henry Street that Nikolais began to develop his own world of abstract dance theatre, portraying man as part of a total environment. Nikolais redefined dance as "the art of motion which, left on its own merits, becomes

3780-411: The town in 873, before the Carolingian Emperor ousted him. Fulk I of Anjou , a Carolingian descendant, was the first viscount of Angers (before 898 until 929) and of Tours (898–909), and count of Nantes (909–919). Around 929, he took the title of count (earl) of Angers and founded the first Anjou dynasty, the House of Ingelger ( French: Ingelgeriens ). Angers subsequently formed the capital of

3843-438: The world. Nikolais, referring to his students, said: "Each student is encouraged toward the highest aesthetic values, and upon creative fluency and achievement, as well as technical skill. The job of the teacher is to pursue, institute and constantly anticipate the best possible activities coinciding with this idealistic thesis." In 1987, Nikolais was awarded the National Medal of Arts , bestowed by President Ronald Reagan , and

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3906-431: Was granted five honorary doctorate degrees, was twice designated a Guggenheim Fellow , and was the recipient of a three-year creativity grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation . Nikolais and his work have been featured in numerous films and television programs in the US and abroad. In July 1987, Nik and Murray , a feature-length documentary film about Nikolais and Murray Louis, directed by Christian Blackwood , aired on

3969-425: Was traditionally known as the "Black City" ( la Ville Noire ) because many roofs were built of slate , due to the quarry in neighbouring Trélazé . These have become less common since the development of the city in the 19th century. The city has also been known as: The coat of arms of Angers bears the French royal fleur de lys of the dukes of Anjou (the first duke was the son of the king of France, Jean II );

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