Iconic Limón Dance Company returns to Nazareth and hosts masterclasses for students and public
Acclaimed for its exquisite choreography and dramatic expression, technical brilliance, and expansive, yet nuanced humanity, the iconic Limón Dance Company returns to Nazareth in January. The company will be in residence on January 20 and 21, offering open rehearsal for Nazareth students and a master class and lecture/demonstration open to the public. The company then takes the stage at the Nazareth Arts Center's Callahan Theater on Saturday, January 21 at 7:30 p.m. as Nazareth College's Visual and Performing Arts' 2022/2023 Changemakers Series presents An Evening with the Limón Dance Company, in a program that includes choreography by company founder Jose Limón and co-founder Doris Humphrey.
The audience is invited to attend a pre-performance talk at 6:30 p.m. in the Peace Theater (room A14) in the Arts Center's lower level, featuring Dante Puleio, Limón Dance Company's artistic director, a former member of the company for more than a decade.
The company's repertory includes classic works in addition to new commissions from contemporary choreographers. Under Puleio's direction, the company concentrates on perpetuating, preserving, and celebrating Jose Limón's historical legacy, and reimagining his intention and vision to reflect the rapidly shifting 21st century landscape.
"Performing with luscious spontaneity" (The New York Times), the company performs Limón's Chaconne, Psalm, and A Choreographic Offering, and co-founder Doris Humphrey's ageless Air for the G String when it comes to Nazareth College.
Tickets (reserved seats) are $10 to $45. Tickets are available online or through the Arts Center box office at boxoffice@naz.edu or 585-389-2170. Nazareth College students are admitted free of charge. There are also $5 tickets available to other college students with ID.
The performance is presented in cooperation with Nazareth College's Theatre and Dance Department where the company will be in residence on January 20 and 21.
An open rehearsal for Nazareth College dance students at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, January 20, and a free, open to the public master class on the Limón dance technique at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 21, will be offered in the dance studio in George Hall on the Nazareth College campus.
A lecture/demonstration at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, January 20, in Callahan Theater is open to the public. It will feature selections of their historic and recently reconstructed Danzas Mexicanas, along with the new 2022 Bessie Award-nominated work, Migrant Mother, choreographed by Raul Tamez. Those tickets are $10; $5 each for dance schools and groups of six or more.
"Nazareth's dance program is excited to welcome one of the most historically significant and currently relevant dance companies in the world to the Arts Center stage," noted Heather Roffe, Nazareth College dance program director.
Kevin Schoonover, Nazareth's Arts Center managing director, added, "This is a rare and unique opportunity for Rochesterians to experience some of the finest dance currently being produced. The artistry and precision of this company is going to astound all who see it."
Hailed as one of the world's great dance companies, the Limón Dance Company has been at the vanguard of American modern dance since its inception in 1946, distinguishing itself as the first dance group to tour internationally under the auspices of the State Department and the first modern dance company to perform at Lincoln Center in New York, as well as performing twice at The White House.
Thematically, founder Jose Limón possessed a social awareness that transcended distinct groups to address how we all search for commonality, earning him a special place in American culture. He is credited with creating one of the world's most important and enduring dance legacies. Greatly influenced by his Mexican heritage, Limón's choreography has had significant impact on the creation, growth, and support of modern dance in the United States.
The Company is one of the two components of the Jose Limón Dance Foundation, which also conducts educational programs and disseminates the Limón repertory through the Limón Institute. In 2008, the United States president awarded the Foundation the National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. The company is the living legacy of dance theater developed by Jose Limón and his mentors, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, whose innovative works revolutionized American dance.
After Limón's death in 1972, the company pioneered the idea that it was possible to survive the death of its founder, setting an example for the entire dance field. With their arresting visual clarity, theatricality, rhythmic and musical life, his works continue to influence the evolution of the art form 50 years after his passing.
For More Information
Julie Long | Senior News & PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
