José Limón, the founding father of Limón Dance Firm, as soon as stated, “We imagine that we’re by no means extra actually and profoundly human than once we dance.” This quote is weaved all through his highly effective repertoire, basing his work off human drama.
Now embarking on its 78th season, the Firm is again on the highway, revitalizing previous work, never-before-seen work and the world premiere of recent work, all below the management of Inventive Director Dante Puleio, who grew to become the sixth creative director within the firm’s historical past in 2020.
“José offered an area for the storytelling that wanted to be instructed,” Puleio shares with Dance Informa. In his position with the corporate, Puleio focuses on contextualizing mid-20th century dance for the up to date artist and viewers. He’s dedicated to implementing that analysis by celebrating Limón’s historic legacy and reimagining his intention and imaginative and prescient to replicate the quickly shifting 21st century panorama.
Changing into the creative director proper earlier than COVID offered Puleio with the time he wanted to essentially determine his imaginative and prescient and subsequent steps for the corporate, “particularly within the months that have been following with social justice actions. It actually gave me a lot time to determine who I’m on this place and what I’m going to do with this firm that is sensible for the subsequent 75 years.”
He started taking a look at Limón’s unique works and items that by no means made it to the stage. He realized a lot of Limón’s work was tied to his private heritage. “He pulled aside all of the totally different archetypes of who he was, and I assumed, okay, that is the place I want to begin. I want to take a look at who he was and what made him who he was.”
Throughout this time, Puleio additionally observed it was the ladies in Limón’s life who formed him into the person he was, together with his spouse, Pauline Lawrence, and his mentor, Doris Humphrey. This discovery inspired Puleio to have the Firm work with girls who’re shaping the sector of dance on this second.
“I felt it was essential to spotlight how this legacy firm was based and supported by way of girls’s views, and I need to proceed that.”
As he started deciding which works to incorporate this season, Puleio turned to his artists throughout the firm to see what choreographers have been thrilling them and who they wished to work with. In these conversations, Kayla Farrish’s title got here up usually.
Farrish received a Bessie Award in 2022, the identical yr Limón Dance Firm acquired its Bessie for its work titled Migrant Mom, choreographed by Raúl Tamez. Though an early profession choreographer, Puleio listened to his artists and arrange a dialog with Farrish, who was able to tackle the problem.
“I’m simply actually excited in regards to the content material of the work,” Farrish shares. “It feels emotional and eruptive, emotional, visceral and touching. I’m simply excited for folks to expertise what’s in that and the way they’re tethered to that or the influence of that, and to see these unimaginable dancers and artists. For me, outdoors of that, it’s my first firm fee with Limón Dance, in order that’s actually an incredible collaboration. After which it’s my first premiere at The Joyce. Throughout, I’m enthusiastic about plenty of issues!”
After agreeing to work collectively, Puleio and Farrish sat down and checked out two of Limón’s misplaced works. The primary was a piece he made in Mexico in 1951 known as Redes (“networks”), which is a few group of individuals working to construct one thing. The piece was misplaced for a few years. When he moved to New York Metropolis, Limón re-choreographed the piece and renamed it to El Grito (“The Scream”), which is a few cultural awakening inside a group.
“Alongside Limón’s work, I additionally share lots with taking a look at humanism and taking a look at folks, difficult us to be current or with ourselves and our voices,” Farrish says. A problem main into creating the items, nevertheless, was she solely had pictures of Redes and El Grito to reference whereas choreographing. “I didn’t have any video. There wasn’t even any video of him talking of the piece, so I needed to pull from the images, the interpretation, the musical rating. My mind began spinning with the themes of group and feeling. It’s about seeing the group course of these large-scale emotions and the way issues change, the way you see people locally, the issues of us being alongside of one another with totally different opinions and totally different emotions.”
To Puleio, he hopes Farrish’s piece, titled Missa Brevis, evokes hope. “It’s so well timed proper now when it comes to the world and when it comes to what shall be occurring on November 5, once we open. I feel it will likely be an essential piece for that week, no matter which means we go on Election Day.”
Along with Missa Brevis, Limón Dance Firm will even be performing Doris Humphrey’s solo, Two Ecstatic Themes, in addition to Limón’s The Traitor and Scherzo.
“Coming to this nation, José all the time felt that he was on the surface, by no means actually being a part of the group, however nonetheless feeling hope and energy contained in the group,” Puleio reveals. “A lot of his work has this outsider trying in really feel. I’m excited that the viewers goes to return in and possibly step within the sneakers of José and really feel like an outsider trying in, as he noticed the world.”
The Traitor is a tackle The Final Supper, instructed from Judas’ perspective. It takes an individual “deemed as evil” and reexamines how he noticed the world. The work, beforehand solely carried out with a forged of 10 males, shall be carried out with a blended gender forged for the primary time. Puleio says, “I’m excited to inform this piece in a brand new means. We received new costumes, now we have a brand new recording, and we stripped away the necessity for less than males to have the ability to inform this story. It’s not simply males on the desk anymore.”
Scherzo was a misplaced work that was final carried out just one time in 1981, and previous to that round 1955. Scherzo consists of 4 shirtless males tossing a drum round. “Limon’s work is so severe and heavy. To have 4 guys tossing round and banging on a drum for 10 minutes is enjoyable. Let’s have some levity and time,” Puleio says.
Two Ecstatic Themes is Humphrey’s solo from 1931, that permits audiences to expertise her exploration of falling and recovering.
“I hope that [our performance gives our audience] a second to step away from their actuality,” Puleio says. “I hope it takes them someplace and that they’re in a position to depart with just a little bit extra sense of self inside their world. A way of company and energy over the choices they make as an alternative of being influenced by the media or being instructed what to imagine. After which group. Having one another is an important factor on this time that feels divisive and feels extremely charged. I hope they unplug for just a little bit and may be swept away in a world for 2 hours.”
Limón Dance Firm will carry out at The Joyce Theater from November 5-10. Tickets are on sale now and may be bought right here.
By Lauren Harvey of Dance Informa.
