School of Dance Assistant Professor Natalie Desch performed in the Limón Dance Company's 80th Anniversary performance season at The Joyce Theater, NYC from October 14-19, 2025.
A bridge between history and innovation, the program honored eight decades of revolutionary modern dance by its founder, José Limón, and amplified the artistic voices of today:
- For the opening piece, Associate Artistic Director Logan Frances Kruger brought together generations of dancers from students to Company veterans in a reimagined restaging of Limón's solo "Chaconne" (1942) that celebrated the countless artists who have been inspired and touched by the transformative work of José Limón.
- Next on the program, was a new reconstruction of Limón’s "The Emperor Jones" (1956), a haunting portrait inspired by Eugene O’Neill’s play that explored authority, vulnerability, and the weight of self-mythology. This new reconstruction embraced contemporary costume and scenic design.
- The evening concluded with a world premiere by acclaimed Mexican choreographer Diego Vega Solorza. A vital voice in Latin American dance, Vega Solorza brought a personal lens shaped by his experience as a queer Mexican man and, like Limón, his work confronted the realities of its time with choreography that is personal, urgent, and unapologetic.
