Eyes on the prize

Limón Technique, a system of movement principles for dance crafted by José Limón and Doris Humphrey over the early and middle 20th Century, builds upon the physics and natural body patterns that a person might experience in daily life. These principles include succession, opposition, fall, weight, recovery, rebound, suspension, and isolation. Collectively, they were intended to provide a universal language for sharing meaning through dance, but this notion is problematic and the boundaries of the Technique are too limited to stand up to the task. It is important to examine how this method of training and artistry can continue to be relevant through reimagined possibilities of its principles. After analyzing and engaging with the archive of José Limón’s life and work, an expansion and redefinition of the Technique’s principles were applied choreographically as a test of these new and expanded theories. With modification, this training system, despite its age, may still be reconciled to serve as a suitable conduit for reflecting the broad spectrum of the human condition.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25820/gnd4-3s89