Jose Limon and La Malinche: The Dancer and the Dance with DVD

Jose Limon (1908-1972) was one of the leading figures of modern dance in the twentieth century. Hailed by the New York Times as the finest male dancer of his time when the Jose Limon Dance Company debuted in 1947, Limon was also a renowned choreographer who won two Dance Magazine Awards and a Capezio Dance Award, two of dance's highest honors. In addition to directing his own dance company, Limon served as artistic director of the Lincoln Center's American Dance Theater and also taught choreography at the Juilliard School for many years.

In this volume, scholars and artists from fields as diverse as dance history, art history, Mesoamerican ethnohistory, Mexican American studies, music studies, and Mexican history come together to explore one of Jose Limon's masterworks, the ballet La Malinche. Offering many points of entry into the dance, they examine La Malinche from various angles, such as Limon's life story and the influence of his Mexican heritage on his work, an analysis of the dance itself, the musical score composed by Norman Lloyd, the visual elements of props and costumes, the history and myth of La Malinche (the indigenous woman who served the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes as interpreter and mistress), La Malinche's continuing presence in Mexican American culture, and issues involved in a modern restaging of the dance.

Also included in the book is a DVD written and directed by Patricia Harrington Delaney that presents the ballet in its entirety, accompanied by expert commentary that sets La Malinche within its artistic and historical context.

Editor Seed (history, U. of California, Irvine) offers a substantial addition to the surprisingly small amount of literature devoted to José Limón, the first Mexican American dance composer. Seed and her contributors offer a biography that chronicles Limón's development as an artist and rise to international success. Articles also discuss La Malinche, his most famous Mexican-themed dance, offering critical evaluations and interpretations, discussions of props and costumers, his inspirations and the influence of his Mexican heritage on his work. The volume would be interesting reading for anyone interested in the visual arts, music, or Mexican history. The volume includes a DVD of the ballet. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)