Jesse Obremski (foreground), Brenna Monroe-Cook, Mark Willis, and Logan Frances Kruger in Jose Limon's "The Moor's Pavane" at Jacob's Pillow Festival in 2018 in Becket, Mass. (Photo by Hayim Heron, courtesy of Jacob's Pillow Festival)

BECKET — Choreographer Jose Limon didn’t just create a modern dance company in 1946 bearing his name.

The Limon Dance Company is probably best known for keeping the “Limon technique” alive.

What is the Limon technique?

What was Limon’s style?

The choreographer’s signature style incorporates “the natural rhythms of fall and recovery,” according to the Limon Institute. It involves “the interplay between weight and weightlessness to provide dancers with an organic approach to movement.”

You can see that subtle balance between graceful and dynamic movements in “The Moor’s Pavane,” one of Limon’s best known works from 1949 based on Shakespeare’s play, “Othello.”

Set to music by Henry Purcell, “The Moor’s Pavane” features seemingly-effortless yet elegant movements that vividly bring to life the inner turmoil of Othello and the three other central characters.

More than anything, Limon’s style looks beautiful and simple at first glance, one movement flowing naturally into another. But if you pay close attention, you’ll notice another layer, a psychological depth and complexity brimming just below the surface, thanks to Limon’s rigorous and dazzling technique.

You can judge for yourself when the Limon Dance Company returns to Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket from July 20 to 24 for six performances in the newly-renovated Ted Shawn Theatre.

The Limon Dance Company’s program this month at Jacob’s Pillow will feature a new work by choreographer, dancer and musician Olivier Taparga, originally from Burkina Faso. The new piece was commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow for this summer’s 90th anniversary festival.

Performing pieces created by other choreographers is important to the Limon Dance Company’s artistic director Dante Puleio, who became the company’s sixth artistic director in July 2020. A former member of the Limon Dance Company, Puleio believes in “celebrating José Limón’s historical legacy and reimagining his intention and vision to reflect the rapidly shifting 21st century landscape,” according to the dance company’s website.

And what a rich, historical legacy Limon left behind.

Born in Mexico in 1908, Limon and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1915.

The eldest of twelve children, Limon studied art at UCLA and moved to New York City in 1928 to study at the New York School of Design.

A year later, Limon’s life changed when he saw a modern dance performance featuring Harald Kreutzberg and Yvonne Georgi. Soon after, he enrolled in their dance school.

Limon must have been a quick study. Because in 1930, he made his professional debut as a dancer on Broadway in New York. He also choreographed his first piece (“Etude in D Minor”) that same year.

Limon created many other great works during his lifetime. (He died in 1972 at the age of 64.) Such iconic pieces include the ensemble works like “The Traitor” and Limon’s signature solo “Chaconne” set to music by Bach.

In many of these pieces, the dancers (or dancer) often seem to be wrestling with some unseen force bearing down on them.

Other times, Limon’s choreography celebrates the sheer joy of movement, the thrill of being alive.

That’s probably why Limon’s dance company has remained relevant 75 years later.

Like many great works of art, Limon’s choreography isn’t fashionable. It’s timeless.

The Limon Dance Company performs at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket from July 20 to 24. For tickets or for more information, visit Jacob’s Pillow’s website.

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