Jamie Nichols

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.

Critically acclaimed for the emotional intensity and eloquence of her dancing and choreography, she has been the recipient of six Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement in: Performance Individual, Re-staging/Revival, Excellence in Teaching, Production of a Festival/Series for Celebrate Dance 2006-2007-2008. She was honored with the Dance Resource Center Of Los Angeles Meritorious Award for Outstanding and Extensive Years of Service / Overall Volunteer Community Service and Leadership in 2006 and most recently honored with the Lester Horton Dance Award for Furthering the Visibility of Dance at the 19th annual awards. Celebrate Dance 2009 aand 2010 nominated finalists for the Lester Horton Dance Award for Festival.

Nichols’ career has crossed over commercial dance choreographing art films and music videos and appearing as a dancer in several films.She has taught dance in the Los Angeles area since 1978, has been an adjudicator for the Music Center of Los Angles County Spotlight Awards, The Emerging Young Artist Awards (The Herb Alpert Foundation & Dom & Carol Deluise Scholarship Awards), The Los Angeles Dance Invitational Executive Production Committee (Co-Producer and Selection Committee) since 2000-2010, on the Board of Directors of the Jazz Dance LA Foundation, acted as production coordinator, press contact and publicist for The Celebration of Dance festival at The Alex Theatre (2002-03-04), on the Board of Directors of The Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles where she served as Membership Chair for three years and has been a panelist for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Cultural/Regional Grants.

Ms. Nichols is the marketing director, fundraiser, press contact and sole producer of CELEBRATE DANCE the annual festival held at the Alex Theatre. She has also produced modern dance icon Marion Scott’s SPIRIT DANCES 10 at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica , the fabulously successful 16th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards (the “Academy Awards” of California Concert Dance) at the Alex Theatre, The Los Angeles Dance Invitational-A Tribute To Stanley Holden 2007 and The Tribute to ballet great Mr.Edward Villella in 2009 and was Co-Producer with Theater Bethune of Ray Bradbury’s short story adaptation music theatre event FROST and FIRE at the Alex Theatre.

Working as a social activist in her community of Pasadena, she created three site specific performance pieces benefiting the Pasadena AIDS Service Center; continues to support other dancers, choreographers and companies in Los Angeles and believes artists benefit profoundly from volunteering services to their communities.