Limon Contribution

What makes a work of art endure? In the case of dance, where the work is transmitted anew each time it is presented, often by dancers who were not the originators of the parts they perform, it must contain elements that transcend the specifics of the moment. In other words, at the heart of a dance there needs be an expression of feeling, emotion that speaks in a way that succeeding generations can appreciate.

A demonstration of choreographic timelessness can be found in the works of Jose Limon, whose artistic legacy is being preserved and renewed by the Limon Dance Company. A recent program by the company gave a sampling of the Limon esthetic and its contemporary embodiment.

Limon Esthetic
Limon was a towering and charismatic man who believed first and foremost in the ability to communicate through his art. He once described his vision of modern dance as "a state of mind, a cognizance recognition of the necessity of the art of the dance to come to terms with our time." Limon training is not an examination of the past; it uses timeless truths to enable dancers to develop both as artists and as technicians.

The program presented by the Limon Dance Company began with one of Humphrey’s works for the company. Invention (1949) for a man and two women, weaves flowing combinations of the three dancers to a piano composition by Norman Lloyd. This is “pure” dance, where the movement is the object. Humphrey favored open arms in large gestures, which she contrasts with a coy, flirtatious solo for one woman and a more somber duet for the man and the other woman. The costumes, designed by Limon’s wife, Pauline Lawrence, reveal the interconnections of that period.

Limón’s choreographic works were quickly recognized as masterpieces and the Company itself became a landmark of American dance. Many of his dances—There is a Time, Missa Brevis, Psalm, The Winged—are considered classics of modern dance.

Limón was a consistently productive choreographer until his death in 1972—he choreographed at least one new piece each year—and he was also an influential teacher and advocate for modern dance. He was in residence each summer at the American Dance Festival, a key faculty member in The Juilliard School's Dance Division beginning in 1953, and the director of Lincoln Center's American Dance Theatre from 1964-65. Limón received two Dance Magazine Awards, the Capezio Award and honorary doctorates from four universities in recognition of his achievements. He was the subject of a major retrospective exhibition at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Dance Heroes of José Limón (Fall 1996), and in 1997 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs, NY. His autobiographical writings, An Unfinished Memoir, were edited by Lynn Garafola and published in 1999 by Wesleyan University Press.