Founded by the celebrated dancer Jose Limn, who was born in Mexico and began his career in New York City, the Limn Dance Company is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Limn himself studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman before eventually founding the Limn Company in 1946. He is currently regarded as one of the most significant pioneers of modern dance.
To commemorate the Company's anniversary, one of Limn's star students was commissioned to create a new piece in the memory of the Company's founder. Lar Lubovitch, currently one of the leading choreographers in the United States, rose to the occasion and created the dramatic and vibrant "Recordare" ("Remember").
The Cleveland Plain Dealer said of the new piece, "Lubovitch's choreography takes Limn's organic movement language into a new realm of theatricality and magical realism."
The choreography was inspired by the dances that Limn created in the early 1950s, which in turn were inspired by Mexican painters and composers.
Contextually, "Recordare" draws on the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday in remembrance of the departed.
The Limn Dance Company will also perform the most famous of Limn's creations, which is titled "The Moor's Pavane" and is based on the Shakespeare play "Othello."
The dramatic and sweeping movements of the piece, along with the intricate depiction of the play's passion and betrayal caused it to become " at one time the most frequently performed modern dances in the country," according to The Washington Post.
In addition to the performances, a documentary film on the life and work of Jose Limn will be shown in the Faculty Lounge of the Hopkins Center on Thursday, March 30 at noon.
The Company will also hold an Advanced Level Dance Master Class at Dartmouth on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m. The class will focus specifically on the organic Limn technique, which can apply to a range of choreographic styles.
The Limn Dance Company will perform in the Moore Theater at 8 p.m. on both Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1.
