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José Arcadio Limón (1908 - 1972) was a pioneering modern dancer and choreographer. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, the eldest of 12 children. Culiacán is a city in northwestern Mexico, the largest city in the state of Sinaloa as well as its capital and capital of the municipality of Culiacán The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. He moved to New York City in 1928 where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. The City of New York Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17 1895 &ndash December 29 1958 was a Dancer of the early twentieth century Charles Edward Weidman Jr (1901 in Lincoln Nebraska &ndash 1975 was a Modern dancer Choreographer and teacher In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company. Limón, also known as Puerto Limón, is the capital of Limón Province in Costa Rica. His most famous dance is The Moor's Pavane (1949), based on Shakespeare's Othello. William Shakespeare ( baptised

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Artistic foundation

In New York, Limon quickly came to believe that he could not make anything of value by painting because the medium had been mined out. Disillusioned with his fantasy, it was by chance that a girlfriend took him to see the dancer Harald Kreutzberg perform. Harald Kreutzberg ( December 11, 1902, Reichenberg/ Liberec - April 25, 1968) was a German Dancer and Choreographer Limon was stunned. “Suddenly, onto the stage, borne on the impetus of the heroic rhapsody, bounded an ineffable creature and his partner. Instantly and irrevocably, I was transformed. I knew with shocking suddenness that until then I had not been alive or, rather, that I had yet been unborn…now I did not want to remain on this earth unless I learned to do what this man was doing. ” [1]

In a panic, Limon began studying all the dance he could. He studied with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman in their (the Humphrey-Weidman) school. From Doris Humphrey, he learned his base for technique and from Weidman he learned pantomime and expression. Pantomime (informally panto) (not to be confused with a Mime artist, referring to a theatrical performer of mime is a performance genre traditionally found In later years, Limon would attribute his primary stylistic influences to Isadora Duncan and Harald Kreutzberg. Isadora Duncan (May 26 1877 &ndash September 14 1927 was an American dancer

Ten years after he began dancing, Limon premiered his first major choreographic work, Danzas Mexicanas. He was drafted in April 1943. Between 1943 and when he was discharged in 1945, he choreographed several works for the US Army Special Services. While on leave during this time, he returned to NYC to pursue serious choreography with Doris Humphrey.

Founding his company

When the war ended, Limon founded the Jose Limon Dance Company in 1946 with Doris Humphrey as the first artistic director. The Limon Company was the first modern dance company to have mutually distinct positions for founder and artistic director. The first members were Pauline Koner, Lucas Hoving, Betty Jones, Ruth Currier, and Limon himself. In the company, he developed his repertory with Doris Humphrey and established the principles of the style that was to become the Limon technique. The Limon Company was also the first company to survive its founder’s death. It survives to this day with the expressed purpose of maintaining the Limon technique and repertory. Limón's influence continues to this day. [2]

Death and influence

Jose Limon was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1967. [3] He continued to work and choreograph through his illness until died on December 2, 1972, at the age of 64. [4]

Jose Limon’s influence is not as Martha Graham’s or Lester Horton’s. See also Martha Graham ( May 11, 1894 &ndash April 1, 1991) was an American Dancer and Choreographer Lester Horton ( January 23, 1906 - November 2, 1953) was an American Dancer, Choreographer, and Teacher No dancers have come from the Limon company to found prominent companies of their own (as with Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor from the Graham school and Alvin Ailey from the Horton school). See also Merce Cunningham (born April 16, 1919 in Centralia Washington, United States is an American Dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor (born July 29, 1930) is one of the foremost American Choreographers of the 20th century. Alvin Ailey Jr ( January 5, 1931 &ndash December 1, 1989) was an American Modern dancer and Choreographer But his style persists. Limon taught at Juilliard from 1951 on, and today, dancers come to New York from all over the world to study with the Limon company. The Juilliard School, located in New York City, is a world renowned Performing arts conservatory. Many of the dancers that leave his company become teachers. His style influences this entire generation of dancers. The most famous dance company that has an obvious Limon base is the Doug Varone Company.

Endnotes

  1. ^ Limón, Jose. Jose Limón: an Unfinished Memoir. Ed. Lynn Garafola. Hanover, NH: University P of New England, (1998?). 16.
  2. ^ "Heritage. " Jose Limón. 28 Apr. 2003. The José Limón Dance Foundation. 4 Oct. 2006 <http://www.limon.org/Heritage/Founder/Limon_i.html>.
  3. ^ Limón, José Arcadio: Biography and Much More from Answers.com
  4. ^ Dunbar, June. New York: Routledge, 2002. 135.

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External links

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