PRESENTS Limón Dance Company Ted Shawn Theatre August 8–12, 2018 FOUNDERS José Limón & Doris Humphrey ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Colin Connor EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Juan José Escalante LEGACY DIRECTOR Carla Maxwell DANCERS Jacqueline Bulnes Alex McBride Terrence D. M. Diable Brenna Monroe-Cook Angela Falk* Jesse Obremski* Tanner Myles Huseman* Frances Samson David Glista Savannah Spratt Logan Frances Kruger Mark Willis *Alumni of The School at Jacob’s Pillow This program information is from Limón Dance Company's 2018 performance. Performances included in Jacob's Pillow Virtual Festival are marked by an asterisk on the left hand side below. PROGRAM In José Limón’s Chaconne a lone dancer (and each of us) has the power to open up the space around. José Limón filmed on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage in 1948, then live, here and now. In my work Corvidae, the natural world surrounding us speaks through an invocation of those ubiquitous crows and ravens, unpredictable, totally present and untamable. The Moor’s Pavane (Limón) is the 1949 masterwork drawn from the early tale that became Shakespeare’s Othello in 1603. Elegance, formality, and rich musicality carry this tragedy of the concerns that are front and center in today’s world. After the intermission, Kate Weare’s Night Light is a crisp and luminous world in which our more fragmented time-twelve individuals living intensely, in and out of twisting charged relationships, in our presently shifting lines between private and public. Limón returns us to Bach with A Suite from A Choreographic Offering, created in celebration of Doris Humphrey, Limón’s teacher and mentor. Together, the full diverse company of dancers closes the evening with this joyful and kaleidoscopic tapestry of community. Enjoy the show! – Colin Connor, Artistic Director Chaconne (1942) CHOREOGRAPHY José Limón STAGING Gary Masters & Colin Connor MUSIC Johann Sebastian Bach, “Chaconne from Partita #2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Violin” LIGHTING DESIGN Steve Woods, executed by Christopher Chambers * VIDEO José Limón filmed on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage in 1948 DANCERS (IN ORDER OF Mark Willis, Savannah Spratt, Jesse Obremski APPEARANCE) The Chaconne as a dance form originated in New Spain, now Mexico, as a robust dance. Both Bach’s music and Limón’s choreography combine an austere formality with powerful emotional implications. Chaconne was first performed December 27, 1942 at the Humphrey-Weidman Studio Theater in New York City by José Limón. Corvidae (2016) CHOREOGRAPHY Colin Connor MUSIC Philip Glass, “Violin Concerto #1, 1st movement” LIGHTING DESIGN DK Kroth, executed by Christopher Chambers COSTUME DESIGN Colin Connor & Keiko Voltaire DANCERS August 8 & 12 at 8pm, August 11 at 2pm August 9, 10 & 11 at 8pm * Jacqueline Bulnes Jacqueline Bulnes Terrence Diable Angela Falk Angela Falk David Glista Tanner Myles Huseman Tanner Myles Huseman Alex McBride Alex McBride Frances Samson Frances Samson Considered the most intelligent of birds, Corvids, especially ravens and crows, have been seen as messengers throughout the ages. Corvidae premiered in September 2016 by the Limón Dance Company at Hope College in Michigan. The Moor’s Pavane (Variations on a theme of Othello) CHOREOGRAPHY José Limón STAGING & DIRECTION Carla Maxwell MUSIC Henry Purcell, arrangement by Simon Sadoff LIGHTING DESIGN Steve Woods, executed by Christopher Chambers COSTUME DESIGN Pauline Lawrence * THE MOOR Mark Willis THE MOOR’S WIFE Brenna Monroe-Cook HIS FRIEND Jesse Obremski HIS FRIEND’S WIFE Logan Frances Kruger Considered a masterpiece of the art form, The Moor’s Pavane tells the legend of the hapless Moor, his wrongfully suspected wife, and the Moor's treacherous friend and his wife. These “Variations on a theme of Othello” use dances of the high Renaissance, as the four characters embody a tragedy in an old world setting of elegance and formality that speaks of racism and domestic violence with a timeless relevance. The Moor’s Pavane was first performed on August 17, 1949 at the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College by the José Limón Dance Company. – INTERMISSION – Night Light CHOREOGRAPHY Kate Weare STAGING & DIRECTION Kate Weare, Douglas Gillespie, Risa Steinberg MUSIC “A Song for Mick Kelly” from Victoire-Cathedral City, “Passacaglia for unaccompanied violin” from Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s The Rosary Sonatas LIGHTING DESIGN Clifton Taylor, executed by Christopher Chambers COSTUME DESIGN Fritz Masten DANCERS The Company – PAUSE – Suite from a Choreographic Offering (For Doris Humphrey) CHOREOGRAPHY José Limón STAGING & DIRECTION Kurt Douglas MUSIC Johann Sebastian Bach, “A Musical Offering” LIGHTING DESIGN Christopher Chambers, after original concept DANCERS I. The Company * II. Jacqueline Bulnes, Jesse Obremski & The Company III. August 8 & 10 at 8pm, August 11 at 2pm August 9 & 11 at 8pm David Glista Tanner Myles Huseman Savannah Spratt Frances Samson IV. August 8, 10 & 11 at 8pm August 9 at 8pm, August 11 at 2pm Brenna Monroe-Cook Logan Frances Kruger V. The Company In memory of Doris Humphrey, this work is based on variations and motifs from her dances. It was first performed by the José Limón Dance Company August 15, 1964 at the American Dance Festival. COMPANY ABOUT LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY as well as outstanding performers, José Limón Company since 2009, performing featured roles The Limón Dance Company (LDC) has been at among them. When physical disability ended in works by José Limón, Jiří Kylián, Rodrigo the vanguard of dance since its inception in her career as a dancer, Humphrey became the Pederneiras, and Kate Weare, and became the 1946, distinguishing itself as the first dance Artistic Director for José Limón and LDC, Company’s Rehearsal Director in 2017. As a group to tour internationally under the creating new works for him and teacher, Kruger has worked with students of all auspices of the State Department and the first choreographing for The Juilliard Dance Theater. ages and levels in North and South America, modern dance company to perform at Lincoln Europe, and Africa, and is currently on faculty Center in New York, as well as performing twice COLIN CONNOR (Artistic Director) was born in at the Limón Institute. Kruger also acts as a at The White House. Thematically, founder José London, England and is the fifth Artistic reconstructor of Limón’s dances and has staged Limón possessed a social awareness that Director in the Foundation’s 70-year history. works for the Limón Institute’s Professional transcended distinct groups to address how we Connor began dancing in Canada and was a Studies Program, DanceWave, and Vail all search for commonality, earning him a soloist with the Limón Dance Company for eight International Dance Festival. special place in American culture. With their years, guest performed with several other arresting visual clarity, theatricality, and companies, and toured extensively with his JAQUELINE BULNES (Dancer) is from Miami, rhythmic and musical life, his works continue to own work. Connor has always been committed trained with Edmundo Ronquillo of Ballet influence the evolution of the art form more to the idea that dancers are creative artists and Nacional de Cuba, and received a B.F.A. than 40 years after his passing. The Company that dancing is the act of drawing from a large (Honors) from New World School of the Arts. has developed a repertory of unparalleled range of influences, including musical, literary, Bulnes performed as soloist with the Martha breadth to complement the classics by its sensory, social and scientific, to bring attention Graham Dance Company and Dance Theatre of founders Humphrey and Limón. This oeuvre back to the visceral communicative power of Harlem (New York). As a choreographer, her represents 44 choreographers and 45 new the human body. Connor’s over 50 work has been shown at Torino Fringe Festival commissions/acquisitions by such luminaries as choreographic commissions span the worlds of (Italy), 'Mistero della Mente' Festival (Italy), Lar Lubovitch, Doug Varone, Donald McKayle, contemporary, ballet, and flamenco companies, Cupar Arts Festival 2013/16 (Scotland), and the Murray Louis, Susanne Linke, Meredith Monk, and his works have been presented at “Cohan Collective” Residency (London), Jiří Kylián, and now Kate Weare. The José Limón numerous venues across the Americas and directed by Robert Cohan. She is movement Dance Foundation, encompassing the Company Europe. director for theatrical productions in Italy and and the educational and licensing Institute, was has re-staged Martha Graham's and Jose KATE WEARE (Choreographer) creates dances awarded a 2008 National Medal of the Arts, the Limon's repertoire at Trinity Laban (London). that seek to merge the mind and the gut nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence. through the power and persuasiveness of the TERRENCE DONZELL MITCHELL DIABLE JOSÉ LIMÓN (Founder/Choreographer, moving body. Weare’s most recent premieres (Dancer) graduated from the Ailey/Fordham 1908-1972) electrified the world with his include new dances for Union Tanguera, B.F.A. program. Diable has performed works dynamic masculine dancing and dramatic Cincinnati Ballet, and Oberlin Dance Collective. choreographed by Paul Taylor, David Parsons, choreography. One of the 20th century’s most Weare has been awarded artistic residencies Martha Graham, Robert Battle, Aszure Barton, important and influential dance makers, he and commissioned for new work by the Matthew Rushing, Ohad Naharin, and Fernando spent his career pioneering a new art form and Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Joyce Theater, Melo. In 2011, Diable joined the Francesca fighting for its recognition. Born in Culiacán, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, CalArts, Bates Harper Project and collaborated with the New Mexico in 1908, he moved to California in 1915, Dance Festival, and Djerassi. Weare is a 2014 Jersey Symphony Orchestra in 2012. Diable also and in 1928 came to New York where he saw Guggenheim Fellow, 2011 Mellon Foundation danced for the Steps Repertory and, most his first dance program. Limón enrolled in Doris Awardee, and 2009 Princess Grace Award- recently, has been assistant to Matthew Humphrey and Charles Weidman’s dance Winner for Choreography.