Jamie Nichols
JAMIE NICHOLS
"Arguably the premiere SoCal dance festival, Celebrate Dance ! demonstrates what local dance can look like with the right resources — a major theater with a sizeable stage, top notch technical staff, professional production values, and a savvy producer like... Jamie Nichols”
Ann Haskins
LA Weekly
Jamie Nichols was the Artistic Director and founder of the Pasadena based contemporary dance company Fast Feet for 23 years. Until retiring her dance company in 2003 she self-produced her work in festivals and venues throughout California. Ms. Nichols has been critically acclaimed for the emotional intensity and eloquence of her dancing and choreography. “A memorable performance for its depth of feeling” “remarkable gestural detail” “galvanizing” from The Los Angeles Times, describes Jamie Nichols.
She is the recipient of six Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the categories of: Performance Individual, Re-staging/Revival, Excellence in Teaching, Production of Festival /Series (Celebrate Dance 2006-2007-2008) and Celebrate Dance 2009 and 2010 were nominated for Lester Horton Dance Awards.
Ms. Nichols was honored with the esteemed Dance Resource Center Of Los Angeles Meritorious Award for Outstanding and Extensive Years of Service and Leadership in 2006 and was honored with the prestigious Furthering The Visibility of Dance Award at the 19th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards.
Ms. Nichols is the marketing director, fundraiser, press contact and sole producer of Celebrate Dance including 70 dance companies, several more than once. She has also produced modern dance icon Marion Scott’s Spirit Dances 10 at Highways Performance Space, the 16th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards 2007 at the Alex Theatre and was Co-Producer with Theater Bethune of Ray Bradbury’s Frost and Fire at the Alex Theatre. She is currently the curator of the Brand Library Dance Series in Glendale, California.
As a well respected member of the professional dance community Ms. Nichols has been: an adjudicator for the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, a judge for the professional and semi- professional division at the Palm Desert International Choreography Festival, a judge for the McCallum Theatre’s “Open Call” talent competition, on the selection committee for The Los Angeles Dance Invitational and the Executive Production committee for LADI, on the Board of Directors of the Jazz Dance L.A. Foundation and the Board of Directors of The Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles where she served as Membership Chair. She has also been a panelist for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Cultural / Regional Grants.
Ms. Nichols is currently teaching her own powerful and passionate method of Contemporary Dance at ARC Pasadena and is Head of Movement at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood, California.