A Celebratory Movement Sentence Choir with Limón Dance Company
On Saturday, April 6, we hosted a DEL Movement Sentence Choir facilitated by Dante Puleio, Artistic Director of the Limón Dance Company, and our very own long-time DEL Facilitator, Deborah Damast.
Movement Sentence Choirs are always inspiring, and this year held special significance! We came together to celebrate the 92NY’s 150th Anniversary, celebrating the rich history of José Limón at 92NY while looking towards the future of dance and dance education. It was a chance for everyone to connect, dance together, and tap into the lineage of dance and community over the 92NY’s 150 years! It was an amazing afternoon of exploration and developing original choreography.
Watch the full dance:
The DEL Movement Sentence Choir combines two concepts, Laban’s famous movement choirs and the DEL movement sentence. Dante and Deborah selected the following action words to frame the day (that together, spell CARE):
Connect
Accelerate
Reach
Embrace
Dante and Deborah were the dream team.
Dante highlighted how José Limón’s (1908-1972) work is still relevant now, and will continue to be in the future. He taught a Limón movement phrase, and participants then came together to collaborate in small groups.
Participants pulled inspiration from the movement material, historical images of Laban’s Movement Choirs, and the 4 action words to create new group choreographies!
The workshop was a great representation of our DEL Community.
Participants included dance educators, professional dancers, students, and community members! We were also joined by 4 Limón Dance Company members, with live accompaniment by Mal Stein. We concluded with a celebratory dance party.
All photos by Whitney Browne for Nel Shelby Productions.
