For advance notice of Youth Education events, join the The Jos Limn Dance Company residency is
UMS Teachers email list by emailing presented with support from DaimlerChrysler
umsyouth@umich.edu or visit www.ums.org/education. Corporation Fund.
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Concerto Six Twenty-Two by Lar Lubovitch (Photo by Rosalie OConnor)
Performance
About the
Coming to the Show (For Students)
We want you to enjoy your time in the theater, so here are some tips to make your Youth
Performance experience successful and fun! Please review this page prior to attending the
performance.
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The Performance at a Glance
Who is Jos Limn?
Jos Limn (1908-1972) (pronounced ho-zay lee-mohn) was a crucial figure in the
development of modern dance in America. Born in Mexico, Mr. Limn moved to
New York City in 1928. It was here that he saw his first dance program; an event
that changed his life. In 1946, he established his own company and many of
his works were quickly recognized as masterpieces including The Moors Pavane
(1949). As a choreographer, Mr. Limn was a consistently productive until his death
in 1972he choreographed at least one new piece each yearand he was also an
influential teacher and advocate for modern dance.
-Jos Limn
Angelitos Negros (1972)
Choreography: Donald McKayle
Music: Manuel Alvarez Maciste
Choreographed by leading African American choreographer Donald McKayle, the
central solo in Angelitos Negros is an African American woman looking upwards
at the Sistine Chapel in Rome. She sees a heavenly view that has no Black angels
only White ones. She asks the question: Are there no Black angels in heaven?
She looks at her own reflections and cries out that she wants to enter heaven,
too, and asks the painter to include Black angels the next time he paints a heav-
enly view on the church ceilings. This work showcases the special talents of
Roxane DOrleans Juste and brings us an intimate look at a mixture of power,
restraint and passion.
Repertoire
Evening Songs (1997)
Title
Description
In this quiet and poignant work, master choreographer Jir Kylin shows us a com-
munity of men and women who share with us a moment at twilight when they
are experiencing the mysteries and wonder of nature. The dance is structured in
four sections; a female trio, a duet for a man and a woman, a male trio and a
sextet for three couples. In each section, through simple gestures and folk dance
patterns, Mr. Kylin draws portraits of this community at play, in thought, and in
observance or reflection.
The music, by Antonn Dvork, is from his Songs for Mixed Choir and In the
Nature. As they are sung a capella, the sense of suspension that pervades the
dance is intensified through this magical composition.
Since the mid-eighties Kylins artistic view and style have changed considerably
towards abstraction and surrealistic images. Having created a unique and very
personal style, Kylins choreographies defy academic categorization blending ele-
ments of many sources. There are always new inspirations to be explored, new
challenges and boundaries to be overcome. Profoundly based on musical reading
- there is something in his work deeply penetrating into the mystery of the human
being itself, unveiling hidden traces through his dance.
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The Music of Evening Songs: Antonn Dvork
Antonin Dvork, born on September 8, 1841 in a small town near Prague, is
known to be one of the greatest Czech composers, noted for his attractive melodic
compositions and the brilliance of his orchestration. At the age of 16 he studied
at the Prague Organ School. There, he was introduced to the works of past great
masters as well as to composers such as Robert Schumann and Richard Wagner.
Despite the international recognition he had achieved, Dvork lived in relative pov-
erty as a result of unfavorable contracts with his music publishers. He died on May
1, 1904. A national day of mourning was declared, and Dvork was honored with
a burial in Vysehrad Cemetery, where many prominent Czechs are also buried.
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Chaconne (1942)
Description
The chaconne (pronounced sha-kohn) is a style of dance which originated in New
Spain, now Mexico, as a robust and raucous dance. Bach employed the strict musi-
cal form of the chaconne but enriched it with powerful emotional implications. Mr.
Limn has tried to capture in his dance both the formal austerity and the profound
feeling of the music. This dance is one of the first important works created by Mr.
Limn as he was forming his first company.
The chaconne is a fiery and suggestive dance that appeared in Spain about 1600
and eventually gave its name to a musical form. Miguel de Cervantes, Francisco
Gmez de Quevedo, and other contemporary writers imply a Mexican origin but
do not indicate whether it was indigenous or a Spanish dance modified there.
Danced with castanets by a couple or by a woman alone, it soon spread to Italy,
where it was considered disreputable as it had been in Spain. During the 16th
century the dance became subdued and stylized, and in the 17th century
it gained favour at the French court. There it was danced by an ensemble
of women or by a double line of couples, who as a group and as individual
couples solemnly executed various figures.
In 1946, after studying and performing for 10 years with Doris Humphrey
and Charles Weidman, he established his own company with Humphrey as
Artistic Director. It was under her experienced directorial eye that Limn cre-
ated his signature dance, The Moors Pavane (1949). Limns choreographic
works were quickly recognized as masterpieces and the Company itself
became a landmark of American dance. Many of his dancesThere is a
Time, The Moors Pavane, Missa Brevis, Psalm, The Wingedare considered
classics of modern dance.
Jos Limn in
Chaconne Limn was a consistently productive choreographer until his death in 1972he
Photo by Barbara Morgan choreographed at least one new piece each yearand he was also an influential
teacher and advocate for modern dance. In addition to numerous dance faculty
positions, Limn received two Dance Magazine Awards, the Capezio Award and
honorary doctorates from four universities in recognition of his achievements.
For more information on Jos Limn, please see pages 20-25 of this resource
guide.
The theme in the first four measures is the base on which the
rest of the piece forms a variation. It is miraculous that Bach was
able from this simple theme to conjure so many variations with-
out seeming forced or repetative. He expounds upon this phrase
for nearly fifteen minutes without repeating himself and without
losing our attention! Indeed, he instead conjures so much intel-
lect and depth into the piece that it is beyond words to describe
its meaning or its mood.
Chaconne is considered a pinnacle in the solo violin repertoire Johann Sebastian Bach
covering almost every aspect of violin playing known during Bachs time
and thus it is among the most difficult pieces to play on any instrument.
Jos Limn was quite moved by Bachs piece and found choreographing Chaconne
to be a great artistic challenge. In his autobiography, Mr. Limn wrote the fol-
lowing about its creation: Bachs theme has a somber and austere majesty. It is
also one of the masters most profoundly beautiful utterances, impeccably formal
and elegantly baroque. It was a struggle day after day trying to compose a phrase
of movements, eight bars of slow tempo in duration, which would somehow
reflect what is in the music. It took a tremendous amount of sweat. Not only of the
body but of the mind and intuition. There was no dramatic idea or story on which
one could lean on. Here was the challenge which must be met and transcended if
totally abstract formal beauty was to result.
This work showcases the special talents of Roxane DOrleans Juste and brings
us an intimate look at a mixture of power, restraint and passion.
But McKayles central focus was always choreography, and though he was a well-
known choreographer, he never maintained a permanent company. He choreo-
graphed for other companies or assembled dancers as he needed them for specific
concert seasons; two popular examples are Rainbow Round My Shoulder (1959)
and District Storyville (1962), both in the repertory of the Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater.
Successful in the worlds of dance and theater, McKayle created dances for concert
stages, Broadway, television, and film. His Broadway credits include Golden Boy
(1964), Im Solomon (1969), Raisin (1974), and Dr. Jazz (1975); he was also one of
the four choreographers for Sophisticated Ladies (1981). Beginning in 1963, Mc-
Kayle choreographed for television programs about once a year, including The Ed
Sullivan Show (1966-1967), The Bill Cosby Special (1968), the Marlo Thomas spe-
cial Free to Be You and Me (1974), and the 1977 Oscar Presentations. He created
dances for films in The Great White Hope (1970), Disneys Bedknobs and Broom-
sticks (1971), and Charlie and the Angel (1972). In the field of popular music, he
has choreographed stage acts for singers such as Harry Belafonte and Tina Turner.
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McKayles sensibilities were formed by the theatrical dance of the 1950s. A human-
istic choreographer, he uses narratives and deals with potent emotion conveyed
through dramatic characters. At times his stories are specific to the African Ameri-
can experience, as in his protest dance Rainbow Round My Shoulder, but his cho-
reography is universal in its implications.
McKayle has taught at Bennington College, the Juilliard School, the American
Dance Festival, and in Europe. His closest associations are with the repertory group
at the Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center and with the School of Dance at the
California Institute of the Arts, to which he was appointed artistic director in 1975.
McKayle currently serves as professor of dance at the University of California,
Irvine. As a prolific craftsman whose dances exist in many repertories and in many
mediums, Donald McKayle has been one of the most influential African American
choreographers of the postwar era.
The following is the text of the poem by Andres Eloy Blanco on which the song is
based:
Andres Eloy Blanco (1896-1955) was a Venezuelan poet, humorist, lawyer and
politician. His poem Angelitos Negros was first made famous in Spain and Latin
America through a song by Cuban singer Antonio Machn. The poem is a hymn
against racial discrimination and Blanco continued to write socially-oriented poetry
throughout his career.
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Concerto Six Twenty-Two (1986)
Description
Concerto Six Twenty-Two is one of choreographer Lar Lubovitchs classic works,
as well as one the masterworks of 20th century modern dance. Lar has set his
dance to Mozarts Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra, or K.622. Mr. Lubovitchs
hallmarks are his musicality, rhapsodic style, and sophisticated formal structures,
as well as his highly technical choreography and deeply humanistic voice. It is
precisely for these qualities that the Limn Company has sought his work to join
their repertory. Although this dance does not have a formal story, it expresses
through its structure, relationships that speak of community, joy and love. As
one reviewer wrote, (this dance) combines the formality of the classical
concerto with the composers delightful sense of humor and tender
expressivity.
The second movement is for two men who partner each other. Here Mr.
Lubovitch demonstrates how two male friends can be supportive and
tender with one another while still showing their strength, creating an
atmosphere of mutual support rather than competition. The first and third
movements are for the entire company and illuminate both the clarity of
Mozarts music and joy and wit that abound in his score.
Lubovitch made his Broadway debut in 1987 with the musical staging for the
Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical, Into the Woods, for which he received
a Tony Award nomination. In 1992 he choreographed the notorious Dance of
the Seven Veils for the Broadway production of Salome, starring Al Pacino and
Sheryl Lee. In 1993 he choreographed the highly-praised dance sequences for
the Broadway show The Red Shoes. The final ballet from that show is now in
the repertory of American Ballet Theater. For his work on that show, he received
the 1993-94 Astaire Award from the Theater Development Fund. Most recently
he created the musical staging (and two new dances) for the current Broadway
revival of The King and I.
Born in Chicago, Lubovitch was educated at the University of Iowa and the Juil-
liard School in New York. His teachers at Juilliard included Antony Tudor, Jos
Limn and the Martha Graham Company. He danced in numerous modern,
ballet, jazz and ethnic companies before forming the Lar Lubovitch Dance Com-
pany in 1968, when Paul Lepercq generously sponsored the companys first per-
16 | www.ums.org/education formance.
The Music of Concerto Six Twenty-Two:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was born in Salzburg, which is now in
modern-day Austria. Mozarts musical ability became apparent when he was about
three years old. Mozart received intensive musical training from his father, includ-
ing instruction in both the piano and violin. He developed very rapidly and was
already composing at the age of six.
While a master of all classical genres, Mozarts most influential advances were
probably in the area of the concerto as well as opera. His concertos contain three For more indepth
movements: information on the
sonata form,
First: generally in double-sonata form go to:
Second: Variable, slow movement
Third: lighter, usually rondo or sonata-rondo, sometimes a variation form
http://
en.wikipedia.org/
In addition to standard strings, nearly all of the orchestrations contain woodwind
sections and French horns, and some use trumpets and timpani as well. Such full wiki/Sonata_form
accompaniments contribute to the symphonic quality of the concertos, which is
one of their most innovative and influential features. Mozarts treatment of the
genre was so complete that it has changed little in substance since his death,
despite the fact that practically every major composer after him has written in it.
As the lights lower and the music begins, take a deep breath and relax in your
seat. You are beginning to watch motion, movement, shape, line, rhythm,
tempo, color, space, time and energy...dance. Allow yourself to let go of any
notion that you already know what dance means, or has to mean. Release the
notion that you have to look at dance as if you were reading a book. If you
watch dance with this type of open mind, you may experience an emotion, an
image or a feeling that you may not be able to describe. You may not know why
or where these reactions come from, but dont worry. This is all a part of the
magic of dance.
You may want to ask yourself some questions as you watch the performance:
Every piece of choreography has a reason for being. Dances may be celebra-
tions, tell stories, define moods, interpet poems, express emotions, carve designs
or even help you to visualize music. As you watch a dance, a story may occur to
you because of your past experiences. However, not all dances relate to stories.
The sequences do not have to make literal sense. Allow images and personal
feelings to come to the surface of your consciousness.
Dance Company
Jos Limn
Co-Founder: Jos Limn
Jos Limn (1908-1972) was a crucial figure in the development of modern dance:
his powerful dancing shifted perceptions of the male dancer, while his choreogra-
phy continues to bring a dramatic vision of dance to audiences around the world.
Born in Mexico, Limn moved to New York City in 1928 after a year at UCLA as
an art major. It was here that he saw his first dance program: What I saw simply
and irrevocably changed my life. I saw the dance as a vision of ineffable power. A
man could, with dignity and towering majesty, dance... dance as Michelangelos
visions dance and as the music of Bach dances.
In 1946, after studying and performing for 10 years with Doris Humphrey
and Charles Weidman, he established his own company with Humphrey
as Artistic Director. During her tenure, Humphrey choreographed many
pieces for the Limn Dance Company, and it was under her experienced
directorial eye that Limn created his signature dance, The Moors Pavane
(1949). Limns choreographic works were quickly recognized as master-
pieces and the Company itself became a landmark of American dance.
Many of his dancesThere is a Time, The Moors Pavane, Missa Brevis,
Psalm, The Wingedare considered classics of modern dance.
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Co-Founder: Doris Humphrey
Doris Humphrey (1895-1958) was one of the founders of American modern dance.
She created a distinctive approach to movement based on the bodys relationship
to gravity and the use of weight, and her choreographic works are considered clas-
sics of modern dance.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Humphrey was an avid dance student from a young age,
and she opened her own dance studio after graduating from high school. She
moved to Los Angeles in 1917 to join the Denishawn School and Company, where
she performed and taught until 1928, when she and Charles Weidman left to form
their own group in New York. Between 1928 and 1944, she choreographed and
performed for the Humphrey-Weidman Company, an artistic collaboration that
produced ground-breaking dances as well as outstanding performers, Jos Limn
among them. When physical disability ended her career as a dancer, she became
the artistic director and mentor for Limn and his company, creating classic works
such as Lament for Ignacio Sanchez Mejias (1946), Day on Earth (1947), Invention
(1949), and Night Spell (1951). Her final artistic contribution, The Art of Making
Dances, was published in 1959 and remains an essential text on choreographic
principles.
mans basic Though he initiated movement from personal insights, Jos Limn believed that
dance was a universal language. He used it to search for the essence of feelings
tragedy and that anyone could recognize and empathize with. In his choreography, Limn
often turned to heroic figures and events taken from history including, Adam and
gradeur of his Eve, Shakespeares Othello, Native Americans, and the Poles after World War II.
By choosing these subjects, Limn showcased his humanist approach to modern
spirit...to probe dance. His dancers turns, balances, lunges and soaring leaps seemed to be the
irrepressible physical expression of the human spirit.
the human
Mexico is also part of Limns identity, and occasionally he made explicit reference
entity for the to his heritage. For example, in collaboration with other Mexican artists, he was
commissioned by the Mexican government for a series of dances derived from
powerful, often Mexican history. His piece La Malinche (1949) is a dramatic trio based on the
true story of the Indian woman who served as a translator for Cortez during his
crude beauty of conquests of Mexico.
the gesture that Gravity also plays an important role in Jos Limns work and is the basis for
his technique. A person can harness th energy of gravity, and use it to build
speaks to mans momentum, change direction, and shape movement. This concept is called fall
and recovery. It is common that a Limn dancer may one minute by executing
humanity. spiraling turns, the next minute lunging in a series of weighted, earth-bound runs,
or balancing on one leg as the body tilts to one side suspended in a completely
-Jos Limn off-balanced position. It is this ability to take the energy of gravity and transfer it
into propulsion across the floor that drives Jos Limns choreography.
However, unlike ballet, the effect of his movement is not one of weightlessness.
In fact, another signature of Limns work is that the dancers are in constant
dialogue with the floor beneath them. They run and jump making vertical leaps
only to reconnect with ground and rise again. The concept of suspension is
also central to Limns choreography. This concept begins with the belief that
a dancer can prolong the time spent at the height of a motion. In this way, a
dancer controls the weight of his or her body as it nears the point where it must
fall again. The movement is lighter, slowed down, and gains a hovering quality, as
when a body is floating. This light point in which the dancer is neither falling
nor resisting, is called suspension.
Following his death, the Jos Limn Dance Company became the first American
dance troupe to survive the death of its founder. Prior to this, it had been taken
for granted that a modern choreographers work was dependent on his or her
own physical presence. The fact that Limns company outlived him was an
important step in establishing the idea of American modern dance as a legitimate
art form rather than merely the idiosyncratic vision of individual artists.
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A Jos Limn Timeline Title
1908 Please visit the
Jos Arcadio Limn is born in Culiacan, Mexico. offical Jos Limn
Dance Company
1915 website at
Limns family moves to the United States; first to Arizona, and then to California. www.limon.org
1928
Limn moves to New York City.
1929
Limn sees his first dance performance and enrolls in the Humphrey-Weidman
School.
1930
Limn appears in Americana, a musical revue on Broadway featuring dances by
Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman.
1937
Limn creates his first major choreographic work, Danzas Mexicanas, while in
residency at Mills College as part of the Bennington Festival.
1943
Limn is drafted into the U.S. Army and choreographs several works for the
Special Services. He is discharged in 1945.
1946
Limn forms his own dance company with Doris Humphrey, his mentor and
teacher, as Artistic Director and co-choreographer.
1947
The Jos Limn Dance Company has its debut performance at New Yorks Belasco
Theater. The New York Times hails Limn as the finest male dancer of his time
and favorably reviews the choreographic works of both Limn and Humphrey.
1948
The Company appears at the first Connecticut College American Dance Festival,
where it remains in residence each summer until 1973.
1949
Limn creates and premieres The Moors Pavane, a masterwork that remains one
of the most widely performed modern dances in the world.
1950
Limn receives his first Dance Magazine Award, for The Moors Pavane.
1951
Limn begins his association with the Juilliard School in New York, where he will
teach and choreograph until his death.
1954
The Company inaugurates the U.S. State Departments International Exchange
Program with a tour to South America.
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Please visit the 1958
offical Jos Limn Doris Humphrey dies on December 29th, marking the end of a remarkable 30-year
Dance Company creative partnership with Limn.
website at
www.limon.org 1957
Limn receives his second Dance Magazine Award.
1960
The Company returns to South America under the U.S. International Exchange
Program.
1963
The Company is the first dance company to perform at Lincoln Center, in
Philharmonic Hall.
1964
Limn receives a Capezio Dance Award, and is appointed Artistic Director of
Lincoln Centers American Dance Theater, a publicly supported modern dance
repertory company.
1968
The Jos Limn Dance Foundation is incorporated, establishing a non-profit
organization that is dedicated to Limns work in the dance field.
1969
Limn begins setting his dances on other companies: American Ballet Theater
produces The Moors Pavane and The Traitor, and the Royal Swedish Ballet presents
an all-Limn program. Limn makes his final stage appearance at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music, performing The Leader in The Traitor and The Moor in The
Moors Pavane.
1972
The Company presents its final season under Limns direction and premieres his
final work, Carlota. He dies of cancer on December 2nd.
1973
The Company tours the Soviet Union; Ruth Currier is appointed Artistic Director,
and begins to shape it into a modern dance repertory company.
1975
Carla Maxwell is appointed Assistant Artistic Director.
1977
The Company celebrates its 30th anniversary at New Yorks Roundabout Theater.
1978
Carla Maxwell is appointed Artistic Director of the Jos Limn Dance Foundation,
and the Company presents its NYC season at City CenterRoots of American
Dancewhich establishes it as a dance company with a repertory from a range of
choreographers.
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Title
1982 Please visit the
The Companys NYC performances are part of the Joyce Theaters inaugural offical Jos Limn
season. Dance Company
website at
1985 www.limon.org
The Limn Institute is formed as a component of the Jos Limn Dance
Foundation to oversee the licensing of Limn dances and offer classes in Limn
Technique.
1986
The Company drops Jos from its title, re-naming itself the Limn Dance
Company to emphasize its status as a repertory company.
1992
Mark Jones is appointed Executive Director of the Jos Limn Dance Foundation.
1994
The Company establishes a formal presence in San Jose, CA, performing annually
and conducting education/outreach activities.
1996
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts presents The Dance Heroes of
Jos Limn, a retrospective exhibition on Limns life and work. The exhibition is
permanently installed in the National Dance Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY, and
Limn is inducted into the Hall of Fame.
1997
The Company celebrates its 50th Anniversary and performs in Sarajevo.
1998
Artistic Director Carla Maxwell is honored with a Bessie, New Yorks performance
Award; Executive Director Mark Jones receives the Arts & Business Councils Arts
Managers Excellence Award.
1999
Limns autobiographical writings are edited by Lynn Garafola and published as
An Unfinished Memoir by Wesleyan University Press.
2000
Limn is named one of Americas Irreplaceable Dance Treasures by the Dance
Heritage Coalition.
2002
The Company premieres Carla Maxwells re-creation of Limns Psalm at the
Cultural Olympiad in Salt Lake City, UT.
2004
Carla Maxwell and the Jos Limn Dance Company win an Isadora Duncan Award
for the for restaging of Psalm (Jose Limn), at the Cowell Theater.
2006
The Company appears as part of the UMS 05/06 season. It is their second appear-
ance in Ann Arbor under UMS auspices.
25 | www.ums.org/education
Painting of Isadora Duncan by Fritz August von Kaulbach from Isadora Duncan, The Art of the Dance. courtesy of Theatre Arts Books.
Modern Dance
About Early Modern Dance Title
Modern dance, now practiced and performed throughout the world, originated
in the United States and Germany. Launched as a deliberate rejection of the
heritage of classical ballet and popular spectacle, this new form of dance was
intended to provoke and to inform. Early modern dance borrowed heavily from
other cultures, incorporated new technologies and used the body to reveal the
psyche. Modern dance was pioneered predominantly by female artists such as
Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, and Ruth St. Denis in the United States, Rudolf von
Laban and Mary Wigman in Germany. It became widely identified as a unique art
form within just two generations.
Isadora Duncan shocked or delighted audiences by baring her body and soul
in what she called free dance. She weaved and whirled in flowing natural
movements that emanated, she said, from the solar plexus. She aimed to idealize
abstractly the emotions induced by the music that was her motivating force,
daringly chosen from the works of serious composers including Beethoven, ...the one artform
Wagner, and Gluck. Although Duncan established schools and had many
imitators, her improvisational technique was too personalized to be carried on by other than jazz
direct successors.
that can be called
The work of the two other American pioneers was far less abstract although no
less free. Loie Fuller used dance to imitate and illustrate natural phenomena: the truly American,
flame, the flower, the butterfly. Experimenting with stage lighting and costume,
she created illusionistic effects that remained unique in the history of dance
theater until the works of Alwin Nikolais in the 1960s.
- Robert Coe,
Historian
The pictorial effects achieved by Ruth St. Denis had a different source: the
ritualistic dance of Asian religion. She relied on elaborate costumes and sinuous
improvised movements to suggest the dances of India and Egypt and to evoke
mystical feelings. With Ted Shawn, who became her partner and husband in
1914, St. Denis enlarged her repertoire to include dances of Native Americans
and other ethnic groups. In 1915 St. Denis and Shawn formed the Denishawn
company, which increased the popularity of modern dance throughout the United
States and abroad and nurtured the leaders of the second generation of modern
dance: Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman.
At the end of the 1920s those who rebelled against the commercialism of Den-
ishawn devised their own choreography and launched their own companies. Their
dances were based on new techniques developed as vehicles for the expression
of human passions and universal social themes. Martha Graham found the breath
pulse the primary source of dance; exaggerating the contractions and expansions
of the torso and flexing of the spine caused by breathing, she devised a basis for
movement that for her represented the human beings inner conflicts.
To Doris Humphrey, gravity was the source of the dynamic instability of move-
ment; the arc between balance and imbalance of the moving human body, fall
and recovery, represented ones conflicts with the surrounding world. Forsaking
lyrical and imitative movement and all but the most austere costumes and simplest
stage effects, Graham and Humphrey composed dances so stark, intellectual, and
harshly dramatic as to shock and anger audiences accustomed to being pleased by
graceful dancers. Jos Limn was deeply afftected by their work would later carry
on this aesthtic when he and Doris Humphrey established the Jos Limn Dance
Company in 1947.
27 | www.ums.org/education
Title Two Early Moderns
Ruth St. Denis: 1879-1968
Ruth Dennis was born in 1879 on a New Jersey farm. The daughter of a strong-
Society has willed and highly educated woman who was a physician by training, St. Denis was
encouraged to study dance from an early age. Her early training included Delsarte
discovered some- Technique, ballet lessons with the Italian ballerina Maria Bonfante and social dance
forms. Ruth began her professional career in New York City in 1892, where she
thing new under worked in vaudeville houses.
the limelight. Out of In 1898, the young vaudeville dancer was noticed by David Belasco, a well-known
and highly successful Broadway producer and director. He hired her to perform
the jaws of with his large company as a featured dancer, and was also responsible for giving
her the stage name St. Denis. Under Belascos influence, Ruthie Dennis became
vaudeville a group Ruth St. Denis, toured with his production of Zaza around the United States and in
Europe, and was exposed to the work of Japanese and European artists.
of New York women
St. Denis artistic imagination was ignited by these artists. She became very inter-
who still keep a ested in the dance/drama of Eastern cultures including those of Japan, India and
Egypt. After 1900, St. Denis began formulating her own theory of dance/drama
weary eye out for based on the dance and drama techniques of her early training, her readings into
philosophy, scientology and the history of ancient cultures. In 1904, during one
up-to-date of her tours with Belasco, she saw a poster of the goddess Isis in an advertise-
ment. The image of the goddess sparked her imagination and she began reading
novelties, have about Egypt, and then India. In 1906, after studying Hindu art and philosophy, she
offered a public performance. She had designed an elaborate and exotic costume
snatched a turn and a series of steps telling the story of a mortal maid who was loved by the god
Krishna. Entitled Radha, this solo dance was first performed in Proctors Vaudeville
which they hope to House in New York City. Radha was an attempt to translate St. Denis understand-
ing of Indian culture and mythology to the American dance stage. She began per-
make more or less forming Radha in respectable Broadway theaters.
an artistic In 1914 St. Denis married Ted Shawn, her dance partner, and the next year they
founded the Denishawn School and Company in Los Angeles. During this time,
sensation. St. Denis choreographic style broadened. She had a profound influence on the
course of modern dance in America, particularly through Denishawn, which was
-The New York Times, the first major organized center
March 25, 1906 of dance experiment and instruc-
tion in the country and whose
students included Martha Graham
and Doris Humphrey. Prompted by
a belief that dance should be spiri-
tual instead of simply entertaining
or technically skillful, St. Denis
brought to American dance a new
emphasis on meaning and commu-
nication of ideas by using themes
previously considered too
Ruth St. Denis as Radha, circa 1908. philosophical for theatrical dance.
Courtesy of Culver Pictures.
28 | www.ums.org/education
Isadora Duncan: 1878-1927
Dancer, adventurer, revolutionist, ardent defender of the poetic spirit, Isadora
Duncan has been one of the most enduring influences on 20th century culture.
Isadora Duncan is regarded as the founder of modern dance.
Isadora Duncan was influenced by the Greeks and Romans where dance was
regarded as a sacred art form. She felt that dance was meant to be an expression
of the natural movements of the human body, and her graceful flowing dance
style was revolutionary. She developed within this idea, free and natural
movements inspired by the classical Greek arts, folk dances, social dances, nature
and natural forces as well as an approach to the new American athleticism which
included skipping, running, jumping, leaping and tossing.
She was a theorist of dance, a critic of modern society, culture, education and a
champion of the struggles for womens rights, social revolution and the realization
of poetry in everyday life. Dancing in long tunics with bare feet and loose hair,
Duncan awed audiences with her grace and expression. She inspired a new way of
looking at dance and began a movement into a new exploration of the potential
of the human body, encouraging many of her contemporaries to do the same,
and beginning what we know today as Modern Dance.
29 | www.ums.org/education
Contemporaries of Jos Limn
Martha Graham: 1894-1991
Martha Graham is one of the most widely recognized names in the history of
modern dance. Her school is still one of the most prominent dance schools in
It takes great America today. Martha Graham was originally a member of the Denishawn School
of Dance, but she became dissatisfied with the Eastern dance techniques and
passion and broke away to form her own tradition. Graham felt that the center of dance was
breathing, and that all of our motions centered around the inhale and exhale of air.
great energy to do Her choreography is recognizable for its stark angular look, and for the dramatic
contractions and expansions of the body, symbolizing and mimicking the human
anything creative, breath. Her most notable works are Frontier (1935), El Penitente (1940) and Appa-
lachian Spring (1944)
especially in the
Alvin Ailey: 1931-1989
theater. You have to Alvin Ailey began studying ballet in 1949, leaving behind his studies at UCLA. One
of his teachers was choreographer Martha Graham, and over the next ten years,
care so much that Ailey appeared on stage and film as a dancer, choreographer, actor, and director.
He choreographed Leonard Bernsteins Mass and Samuel Barbers opera, Antony
you cant sleep, and Cleopatra, which was the inaugural production of the Metropolitan Opera at
Lincoln Theater. Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and in 1965 Ailey
you cant eat, you left dancing to concentrate entirely on choreography and running his company.
He moved between the worlds of african-american and caucasian dance, begin-
cant talk to people. ning the long history of intermingling that yielded the contemporary dance we
know today. Aliven Aileys signiture pieces include his breakthrough Blue Suites
Its just got to be (1958) and Revelations (1960).
In dance, the body is the mobile figure or shape: felt by the dancer, seen by others.
The body shape is sometimes relatively still and sometimes changing as the dancer
moves in place or travels through the dance area. Whether moving or pausing,
dancers are alive with inner movement, feelings and thoughts.
Together, they provide a broad menu from which to make dance choices. Choices
about any of the three elements tend to affect the others, but analyzing them sepa-
rately can help dancers understand and use them.
Energy
How? is a question about the energy, force, or dynamic quality of an action.
Choices about energy include variations in movement flow and use of force, ten-
sion and weight.
Here are some examples of action driven by different energy choices: a run might
be free flowing or easily stopped, and it may be powerful or gentle, tight or loose,
heavy or light. A skip might have a sprightly, listless, rollicking, smooth or other
quality of energy. A person might roll heavily across the floor or use explosive
energy to jump. Pushing might be done with gentle or powerful energy.
31 | www.ums.org/education
Title
Energy choices may also reveal emotional states. For example, a powerful push
might imply aggression or confidence depending of the intent and situation. A deli-
Visit UMS Online cate touch might reflect affection and timidity or perhaps precision and skill.
www.ums.org/educa- Some types of energy can be described in words; other spring from the movement
itself and are difficult to label with language. Sometimes differences in the use of
tion
energy are easy to perceive; other times these differences can be quite subtle. Varia-
tions in movement flow, force, tension, and weight can be combined in many ways
and may communicate a wide spectrum of human emotional states.
Time
When? is a question about time or timing. Choices about time include such
things as duration, speed, divisions of time (e.g., beats and intervals), timing of
accents, and rhythmic patterns.
Timing choices are applied to actions. Here are some examples: a twist could be
gradual or quick. A stop might be sudden followed by a pause. Leaping might
speed up, slow down, or be paced by even beats. A series of sitting, standing, and
stretching actions could occur with an even pace taking a short or a long time. Such
actions could be accented with pauses at regular intervals or occur sporadically.
Bending jumping, and shaking actions might be arranged in a rhythmically pat-
terned sequence. Rising and curling might ride on the rhythm of breathing.
There are endless possibilities for timing ones movements because timing variables
such as speed, duration, accents and rhythmic patterns, simple to complex, can be
applied to actions in many different combinations.
Space
Where? is a question about space and spacing. Choices about use of space
include such variables as position or place, size, or range, level, direction and path-
ways.
Here are some examples of space choices applied to actions: the dancer might
choose to move or pause at any specific place in the dancing area. A skip could
be in any direction such as diagonally forward and toward one side of the room. A
twist might be high in the air or low to the ground or in between. A run or turning
action could be in place or perhaps travel a certain distance along a particular path-
way. The pathway might be curved, straight, zigzagging, meandering. The dancers
movements can also trace pathways in the air as in an elbow drawing loops, a hip
jutting out straight to the side, the head swooping down and up through an arc.
The range of these movements can vary from so small as to be almost invisible, to
as large as the reach of the dancer or the size of the dance area. There are countless
variations and combinations of ways that movement can occur in space.
32 | www.ums.org/education
Title
Language
Dance is a language. It is spoken through the movement of the human body. It
tell stories, expresses emotions and creates images. All dance is based upon a
universal experience: the rhythms and movement of the human body. At a party, Visit UMS Online
at home, or even on the street, most of us have felt the urge to dance. Whether
it is hip-hop, swing, salsa, meringue, foxtrot, waltz, or twist, we all know a style of www.ums.org/educa-
dance.
tion
In dance we take in, synthesize and transmit our ideas and feelings about life
through our bodies. Dance is a medium for learning about oneself and ones world.
It is truly a universal art since all humans relate body movement and the need to
communicate with each other.
As we dance, we sense our bodies and the world around us. We learn how and
where our bodies can move, expanding our movement possibilities and enjoying
our sense experience as we dance.
Dance is a vehicle for understanding life experience. Through dance, we give form
to our experience of self and world. Dance is a way to generate and give dynamic
form to our thoughts and feelings. It symbolizes our thoughts and feelings kines-
thetically.
Practice
Sometimes, dance is
designed to be performed
and seen by an audience.
In those cases, no matter
what the style, dancers must
train their bodies and their
imaginations to be more
expressive. Dance artists
extend the vocabulary of
their movement language
through classes, rehearsals,
and performances. What
they practice are the basic
building blocks of dance.
33 | www.ums.org/education
Student busily working during a UMS in-school visit.
Lesson Plans
Curriculum Connections
Are you interested Introduction
in more lesson
plans? The following lessons and activities offer suggestions intended to be used in
preparation for the UMS Youth Performance. These lessons are meant to be both
Visit the Kennedy fun and educational, and should be used to create anticipation for the performance.
Centers ArtsEdge Use them as a guide to further exploration of the art form. Teachers may pick and
web site, the choose from the cross-disciplinary activities and can coordinate with other subject
nations most area teachers. You may wish to use several activities, a single plan, or pursue a
comprehensive single activity in greater depth, depending on your subject area, the skill level or
source of arts- maturity of your students and the intended learner outcomes.
based lesson
plans.
Our Lesson Plans Are Now Online!
www.artsedge. Lesson plans were created to help enrich your study of the Jos Limn Dance
kennedy-center. Company and make it come alive for your students. We hope that this new online
org format will make it easier for teachers to adapt the lesson plans for their own class-
rooms. The plans can bee accessed at www.ums.org/education.
Learner Outcomes
Each student will become literate through the acquisition and use of
knowledge appropriate to that individuals potential,
through a comprehensive, coordinated curriculum, including
computer literacy in a multicultural, gender-fair, and ability-sensitive
environment.
35 | www.ums.org/education
Meeting Michigan Standards
ARTS EDUCATION
Standard 1: Performing All students will apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts.
UMS can help you Standard 2: Creating All students will apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts.
meet Michigans Standard 3: Analyzing in Context All students will analyze, describe, and evaluate works of art.
Curricular Standard 4: Arts in Context All students will understand, analyze and describe the arts in their
historical, social, and cultural contexts.
Standards! Standard 5: Connecting to other Arts, other Disciplines, and Life All students will recognize,
analyze and describe connections among the arts; between the arts and other disciplines;
The activities in this between the arts and everyday life.
study guide,
combined with the ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
live performance, are Standard 3: Meaning and Communication All students will focus on meaning and communica-
aligned with Michigan tion as they listen, speak, view, read, and write in personal, social, occupational, and civic
Standards and contexts.
Standard 6: Voice All students will learn to communicate information accurately and effectively
Benchmarks.
and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating oral, written and visual texts that
enlighten and engage an audience.
For a complete list of
Standards and
Benchmarks, visit the SOCIAL STUDIES
Michigan Department Standard I-1: Time and Chronology All students will sequence chronologically eras of American
of Education online: history and key events within these eras in order to examine relationships and to explain
cause and effect.
Standard I-3: Analyzing and Interpreting the Past All students will reconstruct the past by
www.michigan.gov/
comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating
mde narratives from evidence.
Standard II-1: People, Places, and Cultures All students will describe, compare and explain the
locations and characteristics of places, cultures and settlements.
Standard VII-1: Responsible Personal Conduct All students will consider the effects of an
individuals actions on other people, how one acts in accordance with the rule of law and
how one acts in a virtuous and ethically responsible way as a member of society.
MATH
Standard I-1: Patterns Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns, use patterns to
create models and make predictions, describe the nature of patterns and relationships and
construct representations of mathematical relationships.
Standard I-2: Variability and Change Students describe the relationships among variables, predict
what will happen to one variable as another variable is changed, analyze natural variation
and sources of variability and compare patterns of change.
Standard III-3: Inference and Prediction Students draw defensible inferences about unknown
outcomes, make predictions and identify the degree of confidence they have in their pre-
dictions.
SCIENCE
Standard I-1: Constructing New Scientific Knowledge All students will ask questions that help
them learn about the world; design and conduct investigations using appropriate
methodology and technology; learn from books and other sources of information; com-
municate their findings using appropriate technology; and reconstruct previously learned
knowledge.
Standard IV-4: Waves and Vibrations All students will describe sounds and sound waves; explain
shadows, color, and other light phenomena; measure and describe vibrations and waves;
and explain how waves and vibrations transfer energy.
36 | www.ums.org/education
CAREER & EMPLOYABILITY
Standard 1: Applied Academic Skills All students will apply basic communication skills, apply Each UMS lesson
scientific and social studies concepts, perform mathematical processes and apply plan is aligned to
technology in work-related situations.
Standard 2: Career Planning All students will acquire, organize, interpret and evaluate informa- specic State of
tion from career awareness and exploration activities, career assessment and work-based Michigan
experiences to identify and to pursue their career goals. Standards.
Standard 3: Developing and Presenting Information All students will demonstrate the ability to
combine ideas or information in new ways, make connections between seemingly unrelated
ideas and organize and present information in formats such as symbols, pictures, schemat
ics, charts, and graphs.
Standard 4: Problem Solving All students will make decisions and solve problems by specifying
goals, identifying resources and constraints, generating alternatives, considering impacts,
choosing appropriate alternatives, implementing plans of action and evaluating results.
Standard 5: Personal Management All students will display personal qualities such as
responsibility, self-management, self-confidence, ethical behavior and respect for self and
others.
Standard 7: Teamwork All students will work cooperatively with people of diverse backgrounds
and abilities, identify with the groups goals and values, learn to exercise leadership, teach
others new skills, serve clients or customers and contribute to a group process with ideas,
suggestions and efforts.
TECHNOLOGY
Standard 2: Using Information Technologies All students will use technologies to input, retrieve,
organize, manipulate, evaluate and communicate information.
Standard 3: Applying Appropriate Technologies All students will apply appropriate technologies
to critical thinking, creative expression and decision-making skills.
WORLD LANGUAGES
Standard 2: Using Strategies All students will use a varietry of strategies to communicate in a non-
English language.
Standard 8: Global Community All students will define and characterize the global community.
Standard 9: Diversity All students will identify diverse languages and cultures throughout the
world.
37 | www.ums.org/education
The Vocabulary of Dance
Art
The production of something beautiful that shows a level of skill (or specific intention) in the
chosen medium and an intent to communicate meaning. Art may be classified as architecture,
dance, music, theater, visual, literary, technological, etc.
Audience
People who have gathered together to hear or watch something. They may gather formally in a
hall designed to sponsor professional performances, or they may gather in a classroom to observe
each others work.
Body Shapes
The design of the body in stillness; shapes may be curved, angular, twisted or straight.
Choreography
The process of creating a dance; originating from the Greek word choros (meaning to dance)
and graphos (meaning to write). This process includes an understanding of form and move-
ment development in dance.
Choreographer
A person who creates a dance work and decides how, when and where the dancers should move.
Concentration
The ability to focus on the task at hand. This may include listening, following directions and com-
pleting assigned tasks or combinations in a dance class.
Concert
A formal performance of music or dance for an audience.
Costumes
Specific clothes designed for a dance or theater production.
Dance
Many sequences of movement that combine to produce a whole; a dance has organization, pro-
gression and development, including a beginning, middle and end.
Dance Technique
The specific vocabulary of dance and the physical principles for producing efficient and correct
body movement are called technique.
Dance Elements
Dance is an art form comprised of the elements of time, space, energy and the body; each of
these elements has its own knowledge base which is interpreted uniquely by each dance whether
it be folk, ballet, modern, jazz or ethnic dance.
Element
Any one of the three basic components of movement: space, time and energy. (Body is sometimes
included as a fourth element.)
The Vocabulary of Dance
Energy
One of the elements of movement; energy propels or initiates movement or causes changes in
movement or body position.
Ensemble
A group of dancers who perform together.
Expression
A manner of speaking, playing music, dancing, writing or visually producing something that shows
feeling and meaning.
General Space
The area of space through which a dancer travels or takes his/her personal space; it may include a
dance studio, a stage, a classroom or the gymnasium; pathways and directions are defined in this
space.
Gesture
A movement of the body or part of the body that a dancer makes in order or express an idea or an
emotion; everyday gestures include a handshake, a wave or a fist; abstract gestures in dance are
those movements given special emotional or content meaning by a choreographer.
Improvisation
Movement that is created spontaneously ranging from free-form to highly structured environ-
ments.
Isolation
Movements restricted to one area of the body such as the shoulders, rib cage or hips; isolations
are particularly prominent in jazz dance.
Jazz
A uniquely American dance form that evolved with jazz music. Jazz dance is identified by its high
level of energy, modern themes, costumes and wide variety of approaches and improvisation.
Kinesthetic Sense
The sense of movement and bodily awareness of oneself, others and the environment; this sense
provides feedback about speed, height, tension/relaxation, force, exertion, direction, etc.; acces-
sible to audience and performers alike.
Levels
The height of the dancer in relation to the floor: high, medium, or low. When a dancer is low, a
part of his/her torso is touching the floor; when a dancer is middle level the feet are flat on the
floor; when a dancer is on high level, he/she is in the air or on the toes.
Literal choreography
Choreography that communicates a story or message to the audience.
The Vocabulary of Dance
Locomotor
Movement that occurs in general space when a dancer moves place to place; basic locomotor
movements are walk, run, skip, jump, hop, leap, slide and gallop. Low level locomotor move-
ments may be rolling, crawling or creeping.
Modern Ballet
A choreography that maintains elements of traditional ballet but that was created during the 20th
century; many modern ballets are abstract and nonliteral.
Modern Dance
A performance movement form that evolved at the beginning of the 20th century, modern dance
can be contrasted with ballet, tap or jazz. Creative work on choreography is an important part
of the learning experience in modern dance.
Motion
Moving; a change of position. It may be in one place or through space.
Nonliteral choreography
Choreography that emphasizes movement manipulation and design without the intent of telling a
story; nonliteral works communicate directly through movement and need no translation.
Non-locomotor
A teacher may refer to non-locomotor movement as axial movement, referring to movement that
occurs in persons pace with one body part anchored to one spot; movement is organized around
the spine or axis of the body. Basic non-locomotor movements are bending, stretching, twisting,
rising, falling, opening, closing, swinging and shaking.
Percussive
Use of energy that is powerful, staccato and explosive.
Personal Space
The kinesphere that one occupies that is defined by the reach space around the body; it includes
all levels, planes and directions both near and far from the bodys center.
Phrase
The smallest and simplest unit of dance form; usually part of a larger, more complex passage. A
phrase is frequently repeated throughout a work in order to give it continuity.
Prop
An object that is separate from the dancers costume but that is a part of the action or spatial
design in the choreography or that contributes to the meaning of a dance. Common dance props
include flowers and swords.
Repertoire
Movement phrases or full sections from completed dance works that are taught in order to famil-
iarize dancers with a specific choreographers style and movement vocabulary. Repertoire can also
mean the dance pieces a dance company is prepared to perform.
The Vocabulary of Dance
Rhythm
The organization of sound in time; rhythm is a pattern of pulses/beats with selected accents that
can be repeated or joined with other patterns to form longer phrases. Rhythm is one of the basic
elements of music.
Section
A smaller division of a whole work that contains many phrases in and of itself.
Shape
An interesting and interrelated arrangement of body parts of one dancer; the visible makeup or
molding of the body parts of a single dancer; the overall visible appearance of a group of dancers;
also the overall development or form of a dance.
Space
One of the elements of movement. Direction, level, size, focus and pathway are the aspects of
space. An altered use of the aspects allows the choreographer to use space in different ways.
Style
A distinctive manner of moving.
Suite
A choreographic form with a moderate first section, second slow section and a lively third section.
Symmetrical
A visually-balanced body shape or grouping of dancers.
Technique
The learning of movement skills; the ability to use specific methods to create a dance.
Tempo
The speed of movement as it progresses faster, more slowly or on a pulse beat.
Unity
A principle of choreographic form in which phrases fit together, with each phrase important to the
whole.
Vibratory
Use of energy that involves shaking or trembling actions.
Dance Vocabulary Word-o
FREE
SPACE
Before the game begins, fill in each box with one of the vocabulary words or phrases below. Your
teacher will call out the definition for one of the words below. If youve got the matching word
on your board, cover the space with your chip. When youve got a horizontal, vertical, or
diagonal row of five chips, call out WORD-O!
audience
costumes
ensemble
motion
choreographer
dance
improvisation
suite
concert
element
isolation
i v e d f e j i t q a a i o u
s m l l a u c k i a u b s a m
y e p e p n x n o d k z o t z
j s d r t v c n i o f s l r m
o k a f o z s e o m b u a e f
z z l i v v n e a y k i t c h
b v d k a c i c m y g t i n w
w d g g e u j s x u t e o o u
e l b m e s n e a n t w n c e
m o t i o n p j e t j s g w o
g j o r o x t m q f i r o m l
a t x r b q e r k z v o q c e
x l r k l l h w y z x w n u a
b p k g e n z v g a j j x j p
c h o r e o g r a p h e r j a
Recordare by Lar Lubovitch (Photo by Rosalie OConnor)
Resources
UMS FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We will be taking a field trip to see a University Musical Society (UMS) Youth Performance of the Jos
Limn Dance Company on Friday, January 13, from 11am-12noon at the Power Center in Ann Arbor.
We will travel (please circle one) by car by school bus by private bus by foot
Leaving school at approximately ________am and returning at approximately ________pm.
The UMS Youth Performance Series brings the worlds finest performers in music, dance, theater, opera,
and world cultures to Ann Arbor. This performance features the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
If your child requires medication to be taken while we are on the trip, please contact us to make
arrangements.
If you would like more information about this Youth Performance, please visit the Education section of
www.ums.org/education. Copies of the Teacher Resource Guide for this performance are available for
you to download.
Sincerely,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
de Mille, Agnes. America Dances. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1980.
Jamison, Judith. Dancing Spirit. Garden City, NY: Double Day, 1992.
Lewis, Daniel. The Illustrated Dance Technique of Jos Limn. New York: Harper &
Row Publishers., 1984.
McDonagh, Don. The Complete Guide to Modern Dance. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1976.
Robertson, Allen & Donald Hutera. The Dance Handbook. New York: G.K. Hall &
Co., 1988.
Terry, Walter. The Dance in America. New York: Harper & Row, Publisher, 1956.
Three Modern Classics, Video Artists International, 1999. Featuring three Jos
Limn classics: The Moors Pavane, The Traitor, The Emperor Jones.
The Dance Works of Doris Humphrey, Part II, Dance Horizons Video, 1999.
www.ums.org/education
The official website of UMS. Visit the Education section (www.ums.org/education)
for study guides, information about community and family events and more infor-
mation about the UMS Youth Education Program.
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org
The nations most comprehensive web site for arts education, including lesson
plans, arts education news, grant information, etc.
Although UMS previewed each web site, we recommend that teachers check all web sites
before introducing them to students, as content may have changed since this guide was
published.
48 | www.ums.org/education
Recommended Reading
PRIMARY & ELEMENTARY GRADES There are
many more
Baylor, Byrd. (1973). Sometimes I Dance Mountains. Scribner. Text and Photo- books available
graphs capture of a young girls feelings about dance. about modern
dance
Freedman, Russell. Martha Graham, a Dancers Life. New York: Clarion Books,
1998. This is a photo-biography of Martha Graham.
Just visit
Haskell, Arnold L. The Wonderful World of Dance (El maravilloso mundo de la www.amazon.com
danza). Garden City: NY Doubleday, 1969. (Madrid: Aguilar) Describes the
development of dance from Stone Age ritual to modern ballet and twist.
Martin, John Joseph. John Marins Book of the Dance. New York: Tudor Pub Co.,
1963.
Reich, Susanna & Raul Colon (Illustrator). Jos! Born to Dance : The Story of Jos
Limn. Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books: 2005. This picture-book biogra-
phy tells the story of Jos Limn, who became a legendary figure in the history of
American dance.
Sorine, Stephanie Riva. Imagine That! Its Modern Dance. New York: Knopf, 1981.
Three young dancers present some modern dance vocabularyincluding objects,
actions, directions, sizes, shapes, feeling, and ideas.
Van Zandt, Eleanor. Dance. Austin, Texas: Steck-Vaughn Co., 1990. Surveys
dance as an art form, examining such categories as folk dance, ballet dance,
modern dance, ballroom dancing, and contemporary dance and discussing the
creation and recording of dance.
Au, Susan. Ballet and Modern Dance (World of Art). London: Thames and
Hudson, 2000.
Limn, Jos & Lynn Garafola (ed.). Jos Limn: An Unfinished Memoir. Wesleyan
University Press, 1999.
Mazo, Joseph H. Prime Movers: The Makers of Modern Dance in America, 2nd
Edition. Princeton: Princeton Book Co., 2000. 49 | www.ums.org/education
Community Resources
University Musical Society
University of Michigan
Burton Memorial Tower
881 N. University Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1101
734.615.0122
umsyouth@umich.edu
www.ums.org/education
50 | www.ums.org/education
National Resources
American Dance Festival
1697 Broadway, Room 900
New York, NY 10019
212.586.1925
adfny@americandancefestival.org
www.americandancefestival.org
Jacobs Pillow
P.O. Box 287
Lee, MA 01238
413.243.0745
info@jacobspillow.org
www.jacobspillow.org
Danspace Project
131 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10003
212.674.8112
info@danspaceproject.org
www.danspaceproject.org/
51 | www.ums.org/education
Using the Resource Disk
The DVD accompanying this Resource Guide includes excerpts to demonstrate the
styles and textures of the Jos Limn Dance Company. This Resource DVD is for
educational purposes only and should not be duplicated. Thank you.
The contents of this Resource DVD includes 9 pieces danced by the Jos Limn
Dance Company four of which will be seen at the Youth Performance on January
13: Angelitos Negros (Track 3), Chaconne (Track 4), Evening Songs (Track 5), and
Concerto Six Twenty-Two (Track 9).
52 | www.ums.org/education
Evening Performance Info Title
Jos Limn Dance Company To purchase UMS
Lar Lubovitch, artistic associate tickets:
Friday, January 13, 8pm
Saturday, January 14,1pm (One-Hour Family Performance) Online
Sunday, January 15, 2pm www.ums.org
Power Center
Jos Limns choreography brings a dramatic vision of dance to audiences around By Phone
the world. The Limn technique underscores the bodys natural rhythms of fall and 734.764.2538
recovery the dynamic, unsettling interplay between weight and weightlessness.
The companys dramatic expression, technical mastery, and expansive, yet nuanced,
movement illustrate the timelessness of Limns work and vision. The company
balances classic Limn masterpieces with new commissions by contemporary cho-
reographers.
Lar Lubovitch was one of Limns most accomplished students, and his new work,
Recordare, takes its inspiration from the Day of the Dead, the Mexican holiday
honoring the spirits of departed loved ones. Lubovitchs choreography takes
Limns organic movement language into a new realm of theatricality and magical
realism, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer of the works first public performance. TEEN Ticket
In response to the
This presentation is part of UMSs decade-long survey of seminal modern dance needs of our teen audi-
companies, which has included the companies of Martha Graham, Merce Cun- ence members, the Uni-
ningham, Bill T. Jones, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Trisha Brown, and versity Musical Society
Alvin Ailey. has implemented the
TEEN Ticket. All teens
PROGRAM (FRI 1/13) 8pm (Full-Length) can attend UMS events
Evening Songs (Jir Kylin, Dvork songs) (1997) at a significant dis-
Angelitos Negros (Donald McKayle, Manuel Alvarez Maciste) (1972) count. Tickets are avail-
Chaconne (Jos Limn, J.S. Bach) (1942) able for $10 the day of
The Moors Pavane (Jos Limn, Henry Purcell) (1949) the performance at the
Concerto Six Twenty-Two (Lar Lubovitch, Mozart) (1986) Michigan League Ticket
Office, or for 50% off
PROGRAM FOR THE FAMILY PERFORMANCE (SAT 1/14) the published price at
1PM (One-Hour) the venue 90 minutes
Evening Songs (Jir Kylin, Antonn Dvork) (1997) before the performance
Chaconne (Jos Limn, J.S. Bach) (1942) begins. One ticket per
Angelitos Negros (Donald McKayle, Manuel Alvarez Maciste) (1972) student ID.
A Choreographic Offering (Jos Limn, J.S. Bach) (1964)
53 | www.ums.org/education
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