A Night With Limón

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, LPAC welcomes the legendary Limón Dance Company for an intimate evening of live dance exploring the enduring legacy of José Limón and the continued evolution of American modern dance. 

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Born in Mexico and raised in the United States, José Limón became one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century, creating a body of work distinguished by its musicality, theatrical power, and profound interest in our shared humanity. A Night with Limón brings that legacy into conversation with the present through works by Limón and acclaimed contemporary choreographer Aszure Barton, set to music by Frédéric Chopin and Grammy-nominated trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire. 

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The evening includes an excerpt from Join, Barton’s 2025 collaboration with Akinmusire. Inspired by José Limón’s vivid written description of a lost work by pioneering choreographer Doris Humphrey, Join begins with an artistic fragment from the past and creates something entirely new from it. Through movement and music, the work explores presence, connection, deep listening, and the complicated joy of coming together. 

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Barton describes the work as an exploration of our ability to return to our bodies, make space for one another, and recognize the power of connection. Created in collaboration with Akinmusire, Join reflects the Limón Dance Company’s continuing commitment to pairing its extraordinary artistic legacy with bold contemporary voices. 

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The program also features a suite from José Limón’s Mazurkas, created in 1958 following Limón’s visit to Poland after World War II. Set to Frédéric Chopin’s mazurkas, the work was conceived as a tribute to the vitality and resilience of the Polish people as they rebuilt in the aftermath of war. 

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Exuberant, deeply musical, and filled with the theatricality that defines Limón’s choreography, Mazurkas moves through solos, duets, trios, quartets, and ensemble dances in a celebration of the human spirit. More than six decades after its creation, the work retains the rhythmic energy, expressive clarity, and emotional immediacy that have made Limón’s choreography an enduring part of American dance. 

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Founded in 1946, the Limón Dance Company has been at the forefront of modern dance for generations. It was the first dance company to tour internationally under the auspices of the U.S. State Department and the first modern dance company to perform at Lincoln Center. The company has performed twice at the White House, and the José Limón Dance Foundation received the National Medal of Arts in 2008. 

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As LPAC celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, A Night with Limón offers an opportunity not only to honor the extraordinary legacy of a Mexican-born American artist, but to experience how that legacy continues to inspire new voices, new ideas, and new movement today.