NEXT TWO DANCE IN ALBANY PERFORMANCES HAVE CULTURAL CONNECTION

(Albany, NY): The performing arts centers at The Egg and the University at Albany, which jointly present Dance in Albany, are proud to present the next two offerings in the series, both of which have a cultural commonality: Mexico.  Born in Culiacan, Mexico, José Limón founded the Limón Dance Company in 1946 with Doris Humphrey.  With a legacy still going strong 75 years later, his namesake company will perform at The Egg at the Empire State Plaza on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 8pm.  On their first United States tour, contemporary dance company La Serpiente from the Mexican state of Michoacán will take the stage at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center on the uptown University at Albany Campus on Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 7:30pm.

Limón Dance Company

The Limón Dance Company has been at the vanguard of American modern dance since its inception. Limón is credited with creating one of the world’s most important and enduring dance legacies.  Greatly influenced by his Mexican heritage, Limón’s choreography has had significant impact on the creation, growth and support of modern dance in the United States.

Acclaimed for its dramatic expression, technical mastery and expansive, yet nuanced movement, the Limón Dance Company illustrates the timelessness of Limón’s work and vision. The company’s repertory includes classic works in addition to new commissions from contemporary choreographers.  Currently led by Artistic Director Dante Puleio, a former member of the company for more than a decade, the company concentrates on celebrating Limón's historical legacy and reimagining his intention and vision to reflect the rapidly shifting 21st century landscape.

The company’s program will include Doris Humphrey’s Air for the G String along with three works by Limón: Orfeo, Chaconne and The Waldstein Sonata, the latter being completed after his death in 1972 by then company member Daniel Lewis.

The performance is presented in cooperation with Union College where the company will be in residence on Thursday, October 20, 2002. Free and open to the public, a master class on the Limón dance technique will be offered at 6pm followed by a lecture/demonstration at 7:30pm, both at the campus’s Henle Dance Studio.  More information can be obtained by calling the college at (518) 388-7129.

La Serpiente

La Serpiente is an independent contemporary dance company based in Morelia, México.  Since their first production in 2001, the company has consolidated its own style of feeling and communicating with and to the world.  They are a receptacle for convergence, space, movement and the aesthetic vision of each member of the group; a meeting place where ideas are communicated and feedback is reciprocated.

Under the direction of co-Artistic Directors Abdiel Villaseñor Talavera and Laura Martínez Ayala, the company has toured South America, Europe and Asia.  This performance is part of their first United States tour with the UAlbany engagement sandwiched between performances in Corning and Lake Placid. “La Serpiente's tour to New York is an opportunity to communicate sensitively with a society different from our own,” explains Martínez Ayala. “This contextual difference represents an opportunity to reposition dance as a creative field that brings social cohesion by recognizing its human value across all borders.”

The company will present their full evening length work Treatise About the Line, a dance that explores the emotional complexity of bodies moving with and for a line, in a space sensitive to time. Martínez Ayala describes it as “a reflection about time and the evanescence of existence.” Red Lab claimed it is “… a work full of atmospheres, nuances, colors, silences, and images so subtle and full of energy that they invite you to participate in different universes through body language.”

In the days following the performance, the company will remain in the Capital Region to perform for young children and to present master classes at various educational institutions.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Limón Dance Company are $34 and are available at The Egg Box Office on the Concourse Level of the Empire State Plaza in Albany, by phone at 518-473-1845 and online at www.theegg.org.

Advance tickets for La Serpiente are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff.  Tickets purchased on the day of the show are $20 for the general public and $15 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff.  Individual tickets can be purchased on the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s site at www.albany.edu/pac or The Egg’s website (fees apply) at www.theegg.org.

Dance enthusiasts still have the opportunity to purchase packages of six or four performances at a savings of 25% and 10%, respectively. Packages can only be purchased through The Egg Box Office in person at the Empire State Plaza location or by telephone at (518) 473-1845.

Upcoming performances in the Dance in Albany series include ODC/Dance (January 27), New York Theatre Ballet with Bridgman|Packer Dance (February 17), Paul Taylor Dance Company (March 4), Dublin Irish Dance (March 18), Savion Glover (April 22) and Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company (May 13).

Sponsors and Funders

The residency by Limón Dance Company is made possible by a gift from Gus and Sue Davis, class of ’59 in memory of their daughter Stephanie.

The engagement of La Serpiente is funded through Performing Arts Global Exchange, a program of Mid Atlantic Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the University at Albany Foundation and University Auxiliary Services.

Other sponsors of the Dance in Albany series include the New York State Council on the Arts, New York State DanceForce, Dance Alliance and Executive Park at 4 Tower Place in Albany.