Murray Louis had quite the eclectic upbringing in the dance world, and his dizzying array of experiences made him one of the late 20th century’s most intriguing choreographers. Along with his personal and professional partner, Alwin Nikolais, “he evolved a distinct choreographic signature that came out of the movement technique he and Mr. Nikolais developed. Most choreographers, including George Balanchine and Martha Graham, would extend a dance vocabulary through their choreography and then bring the ‘new’ movement to classroom training. Mr. Nikolais and Mr. Louis did the reverse.” Still, he fears for the future of the form: “Creatively strong leaders are not coming out of dance… There is a lot of splintering.”