José Limón Dance Company

Missa Brevis

Wednesday, October 31 and Thursday, November 1

7:30 p.m.
Ingram Hall

Join Vanderbilt in a dance residency with this hallmark Mexican-American modern company that features nine Vanderbilt dance students in the final main stage event in the heritage work Missa Brevis.

Acclaimed for its dramatic expression, technical mastery and expansive, yet nuanced movement, the Limón Dance Company illustrates the timelessness of José Limón's work and vision. Founded in 1946 by José Limón and Doris Humphrey, the Company is now led by Artistic Director Carla Maxwell, who worked closely with Limón.

The company's repertory, which balances classic works with commissions from contemporary choreographers, is of unparalleled breadth. Don't miss this company's fall stay in Nashville as they reconstruct legacy works.

Master Dance Class
Saturday, October 27 from 10:30 a.m.-12 noon
Memorial Gymnasium

Film Screening: Limón A Life Beyond Words
Monday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. in Sarratt Cinema

• Best Film Made for Television - Montreal Festival of Films on Art
• Best Documentary - Ajijic Festival Internacionale de Cine in Mexico
• Best Documentary on the Arts - Wine Country Film Festival

For a complete schedule of Limón Dance Company residency activities in Nashville visit:

• www.vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances/limon.html
• www.vanderbilt.edu/dance

Sketches from the Limon Residency at Vanderbilt . . . ideas below are gleaned from time with Clay Taliaferro . . .

During spirals in the torso, "twist from underneath the arm pits", rather than from the shoulders - creates a deeper spiral emanating from within the body rather than an artificial shape.

"The pelvis leads the foot" . . . as in which way do I step? The answer lies in finding the facing of the front of the pelvis - this dictates the direction of movement and therefore the direction of your next step . . . Spoken during a circular walk in space with spiral in the torso.

"Lead with the little fingers" (pinky fingers) Refers to carving out the shape of the arms with energy passing thru the little fingers - the shape of the arm continues thru and past the little fingers. This activates the Latissimus Dorsi in the back and is a continuation of the idea that arm movements begin from the dancer's center and radiate out. In addition, in Limon work, when the fingers lead the arms up for example there is a lovely feeling that the little fingers gently guide the arms up creating a weightless nearly magical float of the arms instead of a labored lift of the arm.

"Don't touch your clothes" . . . We all found this just heavenly! Spoken during a discussion about creating lightness in your movement, smoothness, etc. The effect in the body created for us a drawing in of the flesh away from the clothes and skin, and towards the bones. The body came closer to its center. We became, lighter, longer, weightless, and some of us experienced a lovely tingling sensation throughout the body.

"Take the council of. . ." This was a phrase Clay used often to connect the ideas of two movements. When working on a movement in repertory, he referred us back to a movement from class work. He would ask a dancer to create a movement from class and morph it into the choreographic material, asking us to take the council of the body's earlier response in class. This connected the dots for us, making it clear for our bodies and minds that the choreographic idea was not arbitrary, but derived from some earlier communication in the vocabulary. This general characteristic of Limon work is particularly joyful for a dancer to discover . . . easy to see from the instant brightness that spread across our smiling faces when we connected a few dots.

"Send your knees forward in space" Spoken during work in knee hinges. Immensely helpful in avoiding the painful downward drop of the knees to the floor so common in hinges. Rather than a hinge being for the dancer a downward movement, it is in fact a forward movement of the knees in space.

"Get your heel longer than your toes" When pointing the foot, lengthen the heel past the toes-creates a marvelous length in the leg, bypassing gripping in the quadriceps to extend the knee.

"Send your heel to your pubic bone." Spoken during passé during floor barre and in a jump with a double passé (looks a little like a pas de chat). The idea involves a shift of paradigm that passé is not best created forced to the side, but rather a "corkscrew" type movement with the heel being sent forward towards the pubic bone which is on the front of the pelvis. Engages the power of the rotators to turn the leg out. Avoids forward tilting of the pelvis/allowing the seat to be left behind.

"You are responsible for the shape of your arms" Spoken during a discussion-during bounces/drop swings - about the clarification that modern dance port de bras-specifically in this case in Limon work - are not flung carelessly into space. The dancer is always responsible for the shape of the arm, even when creating the feeling of whimsical, "loose" arm gestures. There is a shape to the arm.

"Soften the pelvis towards the floor." This is part of the idea that the pelvis directs the dancer in so many ways . . . keeping the bottom of the pelvis heavy keeps it neutral - not tilted forward or backward. It keeps us stable, and able to direct our movement, rather than at the mercy of it.

"Does it feel easy?" A wonderful thing happened in our bodies when we worked out a movement until it felt natural, and organic to us within the context of a phrase. The effort went away and we were able to enjoy the wisdom of the movement and the wisdom of the body to make it. When those came together, we were able to enjoy very pleasurable moments of ease, weightlessness, and felt as if we were riding the air currents like a bird soaring effortlessly, rather that beating our wings breathlessly to "get it".

Jose Limon Dance Foundation, Inc. was made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpiece: Dance initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.