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Alwin Nikolais

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Alwin Nikolais (November 25, 1910 – May 8, 1993) was an American choreographer , dancer, composer, musician, and teacher. He had created 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."

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71-562: 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 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

142-476: A 'cotillion' with the polite foreigner." The celebrations-infused with spirits provided by Landlord Barnes-spanned the four nights they were in Southington. Rochambeau revisited Barnes's Tavern on the return march on October 27, 1782. According to Timlow, coins, buttons and other things were picked up in the vicinity many years after the two encampments. The Asa Barnes Tavern is now a private residence very near

213-545: A 2003 American drama film directed by Robert Altman with a screenplay by Barbara Turner from a story by Turner and star and co-producer Neve Campbell . The film also stars Malcolm McDowell and James Franco , and is set in the company of the Joffrey Ballet . Without focusing on a single main character, the film depicts a season of rehearsals and performances at the Joffrey Ballet. Its artistic director

284-406: 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

355-413: 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 is conveyed to

426-471: A hill on the other side of the road. The area of the encampment has since become known as French Hill, and a marker on the east side of Marion Avenue commemorates the French campsite. According to Rev. Timlow's Sketches of Southington (1875), "Landlord Barnes gave a ball at his tavern, at which a large number of the young women of the vicinity were present; and they esteemed it something of an honor to have had

497-531: A household in the town was $ 82,704, and the median income for a family was $ 102,775. Households in Southington were relatively affluent, with 41.9% of its households earning above $ 100,000. The per capita income for the town was $ 36,682 according to the 2010 census. Males had a median income of $ 68,378 versus $ 50,599 for females. About 2.2% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. Top employers in Southington according to

568-514: 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

639-518: A new tinware process. With the overall decline of industry in New England , and the construction of Interstate 84 in the mid 1960s, Southington developed into a bedroom community in which the town saw explosive growth and a population that has surged to over 42,000 today. 28% of the workers in Southington are still employed in manufacturing, most of them in the production of fabricated metals and aircraft . In May 1942, during World War II ,

710-473: A number after his relationship with Ry ends acrimoniously). Like many of the company's less senior members, Ry needs to work a second job. Against her mother's protests, she waitresses at a trendy bar. Ry meets Josh Williams, a young chef whose slowly ascending position in a restaurant's kitchen mirrors her own journey to stardom. The two begin a happy relationship after Josh sees Ry seductively playing pool to Elvis Costello's recording of " My Funny Valentine ,"

781-639: 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 the CBS Repertoire Workshop . Following the Audio Engineering Society convention, in October 1964, Nikolais saw and immediately placed an order for

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852-564: A population of 43,501. Southington contains the villages of Marion , Milldale , and Plantsville . Although Southington was formally established as a town in 1779, its roots go back to a much earlier time. Samuel Woodruff, Southington's first white settler, moved from Farmington to the area then known as "Panthorne" that was settled in 1698. The land was formerly occupied by the Tunxis or Sepores Indians. The settlement grew, prospered, and came to be known as "South Farmington" and then later,

923-413: 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

994-502: A section on the east side of Liberty Street was completed in July 2008 to connect with the pavers installed outside the new Liberty Square office building. The town water department, which built a new facility on West Queen Street in 2002, demolished its former facility located between Mill and High streets in June 2008 and developed the land into a landscaped park, along with a continuation of

1065-440: A solo section, forcing Desrosiers to improvise until another dancer can be fitted into her elaborate costume. The work is still a resounding success. Josh, who has been similarly injured in a kitchen accident, sneaks onto the stage during bows to congratulate Ry. They celebrate as the main curtain descends. The part of Alberto Antonelli was reportedly inspired by the real life dancer and choreographer Gerald Arpino . The Company

1136-466: A song which recurs throughout the movie. One of the central threads of the film is the Joffrey Ballet's preparations to stage a new work by Robert Desrosiers based on Hindu mythology. (The performance depicted is Blue Snake , which Desrosiers had actually choreographed in 1989 with the National Ballet of Canada ). Antonelli and Desrosiers quickly pick Ry to be the featured female dancer in

1207-550: 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 the PBS series American Masters . His work Tensile Involvement is featured in

1278-434: 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,”

1349-419: A valley, with two mountains on its east and west sides. The town is located along exits 28 through 32 of Interstate 84 , exit 4 of Interstate 691 , and bisected by Connecticut Route 10 . Southington has the nickname of "The Apple Valley", due to the many orchards that still dot its landscape. The Quinnipiac River flows through the town. It is home to Mount Southington ski area, which has drawn visitors since

1420-501: 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

1491-488: Is home to the Apple Harvest Festival , an effort to bring together local businesses and denizens from the area and surrounding cities. This has been a tradition of the town since 1969, generally spanning six weekdays and two weekends. Its highlights include a town parade, carnival rides and games, musical performances, and a wide selection of unique recipes and foods served by community cornerstones including

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1562-568: Is located in Connecticut's 1st congressional district . The district's current Representative is John B. Larson , a Democrat . Locally, the Town of Southington has a form of government known as Council-Manager Government . It consists of a nine-member Town Council, elected every odd year through an at-large popular vote . Due to state minority representation laws, a maximum of six nominees from each party can run. The nine candidates who receive

1633-610: Is located partially in Southington, as well as neighboring Bristol. Lake Compounce is considered the oldest continuously-operating amusement park in the United States. In state government, Southington is divided into the following districts for the Connecticut House of Representatives : 30 , 80 , 81 and 103 ; it is part of district 16 for the Connecticut Senate . At the federal level, Southington

1704-551: Is the warm yet demanding former dancer Alberto Antonelli, who steadily guides the company through the rigors of training, injuries, scheduling challenges, financial difficulties, and conflicts between dancers and choreographers. As the film begins, Antonelli has his eye on a talented dancer, Loretta 'Ry' Ryan, and chooses to grant her more and more prominent roles within the Ballet's performances in spite of her lack of cohesion with some of its members (one dancer requests to be removed from

1775-612: The American Revolutionary War . In June 1781, the French troops under Rochambeau's command left Farmington and marched 13 miles (21 km) to their eighth camp through Connecticut, near Asa Barnes Tavern in the Marion section of Southington, now the Marion Historic District . They camped there for four days. Rochambeau and his officers took shelter in the tavern, and the troops set up camp on

1846-696: The Boy Scouts of America , local churches, the Southington Fire Department and Police Department, the Southington Rotary Chapter , and the Southington Jaycees. Southington is home to several farms and apple orchards, including Rogers Orchards , the largest in the state. On May 24, 1962, the town was heavily damaged by a high-end F3 tornado . The tornado, which was "near-F4" intensity at

1917-646: 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 was granted five honorary doctorate degrees, was twice designated a Guggenheim Fellow , and was the recipient of

1988-694: The Gladys Bailin papers - a student of Nikolais, dancer in the Nikolais Dance Company, and Distinguished Professor of dance at Ohio University. Southington, Connecticut Southington ( / ˈ s ʌ ð ɪ ŋ t ə n / SUH -thing-tən ) is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut , United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region . As of the 2020 United States Census , it had

2059-755: 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

2130-617: The Massachusetts / Vermont border, passes through Southington. Notable peaks along the ridge form the eastern edge of town: Bradley Mountain , Ragged Mountain , Short Mountain , and part of the Hanging Hills . The ridge is traversed by the 51-mile-long (82 km) Metacomet Trail . Southington's west ridge is rich with many geological formations . These include North Hamlin Brook, Roaring Brook, and Soltys Pond. Soltys Pond

2201-472: The Metro-North Railroad , providing service to Bridgeport and ultimately Stamford and New York City . In 2024, CT Transit introduced the new route 532, running up and down Queen Street and into Plainville . Southington is home to several highways, including Interstate 84 , also known as The Yankee Expressway , and Interstate 691 . The Company (film) The Company is

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2272-1003: 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

2343-530: The 1960s. Southington is located at geographical coordinates 41° 35′ 48" North, 72° 52′ 40" West (41.596588, −72.87767). According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 36.6 square miles (94.9 km ), of which 35.9 square miles (93.0 km ) are land and 0.73 square miles (1.9 km ), or 1.99%, is water. The Metacomet Ridge , a rugged trap rock mountain ridge that extends from Long Island Sound to

2414-466: The 2020 census , there were 43,501 people and 17,149 households in the town. The population density was 1,212 inhabitants per square mile (468/km ). There were 18,154 housing units at an average density of 506 per square mile (195/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 89.6% White , 2.4% Black or African American , 0.0% Native American , 2.9% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.1% of

2485-749: 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);

2556-461: 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

2627-492: The Karen Smith Academy. Approximately 6,500 students are enrolled in Southington public schools, making it one of the larger districts in the state of Connecticut. Southington High School has a growing enrollment exceeding 2,200 students, of which 90% of graduates attend post-secondary education. Due to Southington's popularity as a family suburb, the town has undertaken plans to expand all schools to accommodate

2698-737: The Nazi German Occupation. Also in 1942 the mural, Romance of Southington , was painted in the town post office by Ann Hunt Spence . Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture , later called the Section of Fine Arts , of the Treasury Department . The WPA was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency , employing individuals to carry out public works projects. Each year, Southington

2769-557: 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 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

2840-594: 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

2911-412: The camp site at 1089 Marion Avenue. Southington originally was a small, rural farming community. In the early 1900s, Southington developed as a manufacturing center, but still maintained a very small population of a few thousand residents. Some of the products invented there include the first cement that was able to harden under water, the first carriage bolt cutting machine, the break-neck rat trap, and

Alwin Nikolais - Misplaced Pages Continue

2982-740: The chef of Marche , an upscale bistro in Chicago. Dance lighting for the Joffrey Ballet portions was composed by the dance lighting designer Kevin Dreyer . Excerpts of the following dance pieces are included in the film: The Company was given a limited release on December 25, 2003, earning $ 93,776 in eleven theaters over its opening weekend. The film ultimately grossed $ 2,283,914 in North America and $ 4,117,776 in foreign markets, bringing its worldwide box office total to $ 6,401,690—well below its estimated $ 15 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes

3053-467: The company stages and rehearses many other pieces, including a dance on a swing set to Julee Cruise's " The World Spins ." To release tension, many of the dancers host an impromptu "roast night" dance on Christmas Eve, in which Antonelli and Desrosiers' personalities are lampooned. Blue Snake eventually premieres at the Kennedy Center . During the performance, Ry injures her arm at the end of

3124-468: The country, based on views of listings, how fast houses are selling and at what price. Southington is situated about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Hartford , about 80 miles (130 km) northeast of New York City , 105 miles (169 km) southwest of Boston and 77 miles (124 km) west of Providence . It includes the areas of Plantsville , Marion and Milldale , each of which has its own post office and distinct architecture. The town rests in

3195-484: 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, the Nikolais Dance Theater was invited to its first of many appearances at the American Dance Festival . With this, and

3266-449: The factory began in October 2014, but the project was later abandoned because of the high cost necessary to decontaminate the soil. As of 2023, preparations have begun for a new attempt at developing the space. The soil decontamination for the most recent plan has been subsidised by the EPA , the state, and the town. Southington has taken the initiative to spur its own revitalization. In 2002,

3337-485: The film has a 71% rating based on reviews from 134 critics. The site's consensus states: "Its deliberately unfocused narrative may frustrate some viewers, but The Company finds Altman gracefully applying his distinctive eye to the world of dance." On Metacritic it has a score of 73% based on reviews from 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised

3408-538: 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 the Théâtre de la Ville which continues to the present day. In 1978, the French National Ministry of Culture invited him to form

3479-439: 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 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

3550-419: The growing enrollment. Three elementary schools have been completed, and a new building and second cafeteria has been added to the high school campus. In 2012, voters approved expansion and renovations to two other elementary schools (with one to be demolished and rebuilt), as well as to the two middle schools. Southington also has two parochial schools; Southington Catholic is pre-kindergarten through eighth and

3621-605: The most votes become councillors. The council appoints a nonpartisan full-time administrator, known as the Town Manager . Voters also elect a municipal Planning and Zoning Commission (four year terms), Board of Education (two year terms), Board of Finance (two year terms), Water Commission (two year terms), Town Clerk (six year term) and Registrar of Voters (four term term). Southington has eight public elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. It also has an alternative school for children in grades 8–12 called

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3692-548: The old train line from Plantsville center to the Cheshire town line. The project has brought landscaping, iron benches, and intersections of brick pavers where the trail crosses roads. This is seen as a major link for the further revitalization of downtown Southington and Plantsville. Eventually the trail will connect with the Cheshire-to-New Haven route. Lake Compounce , an amusement park founded in 1846,

3763-725: 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,

3834-535: The other, Central Christian Academy is pre-kindergarten through twelfth. On March 28, 2015, CTfastrak , Connecticut's first bus rapid transit corridor, opened. It provides a separated right-of-way between Hartford and New Britain ; Express bus services travel between downtown Hartford and Waterbury, with service to Southington , with its free park-and-ride located at the corner of South Main and Mulberry streets. Following its creation, public transportation can now connect Southington residents to Waterbury station and

3905-406: The population. As of 2010, there were 16,814 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

3976-497: The public in the summer of 2003. This trail was built over the town's old rail line which had ceased operation several years earlier. Dubbed the Farmington Canal Greenway , when completed it will stretch from New Haven, Connecticut , to Northampton, Massachusetts , following the route of the historical Farmington Canal . The second phase of construction on the trail, which officially opened in 2011, redeveloped

4047-400: The shortened version, Southington. The town's most important early visitor was General George Washington , who passed through the town in 1770 on his way to Wethersfield . The Marion section of Southington is one of the most historic places in the town. It is the site of an encampment by the great French general, Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau , and his troops during

4118-479: The sidewalks, iron fences and decorative lamp posts. The old water facility abuts the linear walking trail. There are numerous houses and districts in Southington that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places , including: Southington boasts a fair share of large parks and open land, each serving several outdoor activities, and as a whole, a vast array of them. The linear trail opened to

4189-491: The time, damaged or destroyed numerous buildings, homes, businesses, and vehicles throughout the area before it dissipated northeast of town. Overall, the storm left one dead and 50 injured. Two of Southington's main state roads are ceremonially named for notable residents. Southington's portion of Route 10 is named the Louis G. Tolles Memorial Highway for the late state Grange leader and legislator (1885–1956). The road

4260-476: The town completed the downtown renaissance project. This project replaced the sidewalks on Main Street and Center Street with granite curbing and brick paving stones. Lifelong resident and philanthropist Robert Petroske donated $ 50,000 to the revitalization effort which led to the installation of decorative iron lamp posts, benches, and garbage cans. Flowering trees were planted, and a former fountain and light fixture

4331-583: The town was selected by the War Department to be highlighted in a defense booklet called Southington, CT—Microcosm of America. Photographers roamed the community taking photos of residents at work, at play and in their homes and churches. The final publication was intended to show friends and foes alike in Europe the typical American citizens and families, their traditions and values. Thousands of copies were dropped from military airplanes over Europe during

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4402-429: The town's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report As industry in the area declined, many old factories and buildings were left vacant. The latest to close was Ideal Forging , which filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and vacated its building in the town center. In 2005, Meridian Development Partners of New York City purchased the land with plans to transform the former factory site into homes and retail space. Demolition of

4473-455: The work after she impresses them by dancing Lar Lubovitch's My Funny Valentine outside during a thunderstorm. The work proves difficult to stage, with another dancer suffering a career-ending injury to her Achilles tendon in rehearsals; its demands also strain Ry's personal life, at one point causing her to miss a complicated dinner made for her by Josh. In between the preparations for Blue Snake ,

4544-500: 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

4615-406: Was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. As of 2015, the median income for

4686-547: Was an idea of Campbell's for a long time—she began her career as a ballet dancer, having been a student at Canada's National Ballet School . Altman was initially reluctant to direct the film, reportedly remarking, "Barbara, I read your script and I don't get it. I don't understand. I don't know what it is. I'm just the wrong guy for this." The director eventually relented, and The Company turned out to be his penultimate film. Neve Campbell and James Franco prepared for their roles as restaurant workers by training under Mickaël Blais,

4757-597: Was dedicated on August 6, 1960, and rededicated with new signs on October 6, 2007. A section of Route 364 (Oakland Road and Berlin Street) was dedicated as the Officer Timothy Foley Memorial Highway on September 11, 2009, in honor of the first Southington police officer killed in the line of duty. He died six days after being struck by a vehicle on December 30, 1937. In January 2011, John Weichsel retired as town manager after 44 years. He

4828-448: Was hired by the first Town Council when the council/manager form of government was established in town in 1966. His tenure as a town manager in the same community is one of the longest in the United States. Weichsel died in 2013. The municipal center at 196–200 North Main St. is named in his honor. Southington ranked second nationally on an August 2023 Realtor.com list of hottest zip codes in

4899-555: 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 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

4970-687: Was named after Alexander Soltys, who settled in the area in 1713. The most well-known geological formation in the area is one of several in the world known as the Great Unconformity. Located less than one mile northwest of the Great Unconformity on Southington Mountain is Hushak Rock, which has been known informally for decades as White Rock. The overlook has expansive views of the region and can be seen from much of Route 229 and area neighborhoods. The state of Connecticut officially named Hushak Rock in 2017 for longtime Southington civic leader and World War II pilot Walter J. Hushak (b. 1923). As of

5041-426: Was restored and relocated from Recreation Park (where it had been moved in 1961) to the town center. A renaissance zone was created where private business owners in the zone could apply to the town to continue the project of granite, brick pavers, and lamp posts, of which the town would pay the difference of replacement concrete sidewalks versus the more expensive brick. The extension of brick pavers from Center Street to

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