| 1908: |
José Arcadio Limón is born in Culiacan,
Mexico |
| 1915: |
Limón’s family moves to the United
States; first to Arizona, and then to California. |
| 1928:
|
Limón moves to New York City. |
| 1929: |
Limón sees his first dance performance
and enrolls in the Humphrey-Weidman School. |
| 1930: |
Limón appears in Americana,
a musical revue on Broadway featuring dances by Doris Humphrey
and Charles Weidman. |
| 1937: |
Limón creates his first major choreographic
work, Danzas Mexicanas, while
in residency at Mills College as part of the Bennington Festival. |
| 1943: |
Limón is drafted into the U.S. Army and
choreographs several works for the Special Services. He is discharged
in 1945. |
| 1946: |
Limón forms his own dance company with
Doris Humphrey, his mentor and teacher, as Artistic Director
and co-choreographer. |
| 1947: |
The José Limón Dance Company has
its debut performance at New York’s Belasco Theater. The
New York Times hails Limón
as “the finest male dancer of his time” and favorably
reviews the choreographic works of both Limón and Humphrey. |
| 1948: |
The Company appears at the first Connecticut College
American Dance Festival, where it remains in residence each
summer until 1973. |
| 1949: |
Limón creates and premieres The
Moor’s Pavane, a masterwork that remains one of
the most widely performed modern dances in the world. |
| 1950: |
Limón receives his first Dance Magazine
Award, for The Moor’s Pavane. |
| 1951: |
Limón 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 Department’s
International Exchange Program with a tour to South America. |
| 1957: |
Limón receives his second Dance Magazine
Award. |
| 1958: |
Doris Humphrey dies on December 29th, marking
the end of a remarkable 30-year creative partnership with Limón. |
| 1963: |
The Company is the first dance company to perform
at Lincoln Center, in Philharmonic Hall. |
| 1964: |
Limón receives a Capezio Dance Award, and
is appointed Artistic Director of Lincoln Center’s American
Dance Theater, a publicly supported modern dance repertory company. |
| 1965: |
The original cast of The
Moor’s Pavane is invited to perform at the White
House for the Johnson Administration. |
| 1968: |
The José Limón Dance Foundation
is incorporated, establishing a non-profit organization that
is dedicated to Limón’s work in the dance field. |
| 1969: |
Limón begins setting his dances on other
companies: American Ballet Theater produces The
Moor’s Pavane and The
Traitor, and the Royal Swedish Ballet presents an all-Limón
program. Limón makes his final stage appearance at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music, performing “The Leader”
in The Traitor and “The
Moor” in The Moor’s Pavane. |
| 1972: |
The Company presents its final season under Limón’s
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 York’s Roundabout Theater. |
| 1978: |
Carla Maxwell is appointed Artistic Director of
the José Limón Dance Foundation, and the Company
presents its NYC season at City Center—Roots
of American Dance—which establishes it as a dance
company with a repertory from a range of choreographers. |
| 1982: |
The Company’s NYC performances are part
of the Joyce Theater’s inaugural season. |
| 1985: |
The Limón Institute is formed as a component
of the José Limón Dance Foundation to oversee
the licensing of Limón dances and offer classes in Limón
Technique. |
| 1986: |
The Company drops “José” from
its title, re-naming itself the Limón Dance Company to
emphasize its status as a repertory company. |
| 1994: |
The Company establishes a formal presence in San
Jose, CA, performing annually and conducting education/outreach
activities. |
| 1995: |
The Company performs for the Clinton Administration
at the White House. |
| 1996: |
The New York Public Library for the Performing
Arts presents The Dance Heroes of
José Limón, a retrospective exhibition
on Limón’s life and work. The exhibition is permanently
installed in the National Dance Museum in Saratoga Springs,
NY, and Limón 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 York’s performance Award; Executive Director
Mark Jones receives the Arts & Business Council’s
Arts Managers Excellence Award. |
| 1999: |
Limón’s autobiographical writings
are edited by Lynn Garafola and published as An
Unfinished Memoir by Wesleyan University Press. |
| 2000: |
Limón is named one of “America’s
Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. |
| 2002: |
The Company premieres Carla Maxwell’s re-creation
of Limón’s Psalm
at the Cultural Olympiad in Salt Lake City, UT. Company dancer Nina Watt receives a Bessie award. |
| 2004: |
Limón: A Life Beyond Words documentary film broadcast nationally and released on DVD |
| 2005: |
Limón Dance Company's Kristin Foote named in Dance Magazine's Top 25 To Watch |
| 2006: |
The Company celebrates its 60th Anniversary and Carla Maxwell's 40 years with the Company. Company dancer Kurt Douglas named in Dance Magazine's Top 25 To Watch; Artistic Associate Roxane D'Orleans Juste receives Bessie Award. |
| 2007: |
40th CORD Conference celebrates Limón's 100th birthday. |