"American dance is not merely a style or idiom. It is a potent idea. When it's contemporary personalities retire, the idea will persist."-Jose Limon
I just finished researching Jose Limon. He lived from 1908 to 1972. He was born in Mexico and emigrated to New York City in 1928, after seeing a dance performance and deciding to dedicate his life to dance. He trained with Humphrey and Weidman for ten years, and formed his own company in 1946. He (surprisingly) asked Doris Humphrey to act as the Artistic Director of his company, and she accepted. His technique is shaped by the drop and rebound idea, and his dances featured weightiness and powerful attack. He was a very "active" choreographer, and choreographed at least one new piece each year. He also spent every summer at the American Dance Festival.
Reflection
Jose is the first dancer/choreographer that I've studied that is from another country, but is still considered to be an American dancer/choreographer. Does everyone consider him an American? Is he a citizen?
Photo Credit: http://www.danceheritage.org/images/limon.jpg
1 comment:
Annalie,
Your reflections are so brief - I don't get much indication of what you're thinking about why each dancer is important to the development of modern dance. While I'm not sure that I think the questions listed on the yellow sheet under Reflective Journal work that well for your research - I do feel the need to hear more about what you're thinking about how each bit of research helps you get closer to answering your essential question.
What do you think?
Ms. Luersen
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