Work & Accomplishments
Louis had many accomplishments and received copious amounts of awards, recognitions, and honorary degrees. He received the Dance magazine award in 1977, which was presented to him by his former dance instructor Hanya Holm. He also received a Thank You letter from Harry Truman, the Colorado Contemporary Dance Award, two John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships, and the Scripps/American Dance Festival award (June 18, 2006). In 1998, he was selected as a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar for a “distinguished lecture” tour of twelve universities and colleges in the United States. Louis received his first Honorary Degree from Indiana University in 1970, his Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from Ohio University in 1999, his second Honorary Degree from Rutgers University in 2000, and his third Honorary Degree from Boston Conservatory in 2004. In 1998 Louis started assembling his archives and they are now available at the Ohio University’s Vernon R. Alden Library in Athens, Ohio. He has created over 100 works (including 70 ballets), performed in 20 nations and every state of the United States, and has toured five continents. He is one of the few choreographers to dance in his own creations and a variety of composers have produced music for him and his performances. He has also choreographed to the music of Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and many others. Some of the companies he has choreographed dances for include: The Royal Danish Ballet, The Jose Limon Company, The Hamburg Opera Ballet, The Scottish Ballet, The Berlin Opera Ballet, and The Cleveland Ballet.
Louis speaking of his choreography once said, “I don’t have a style. I come out of dance itself. I operate the principles of dance the way I talk. I get a point of view. Each piece has its own identity. It’s what choreography is all about.”
Murray Louis continues to live and work in New York City, New York.
Read more about this topic: Murray Louis
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