Dance Techniques 2010

Alan Danielson — Humphrey/Limón Tradition
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exactly what José taught, and we also teach in a
contemporary way based on the same principles he worked
with. That is really my passion—how these basic
principles are alive today.
What does that mean, ‘alive today’? It means
the principles are just as relevant for dancers and choreographers
today as in 1950. We work with the same
ideas now, but the result is different. Yes, the world has
changed; technology, society, our consciousness has
changed, so, of course, our art has changed. But even if
we’re different, we’re still human. We breathe, we
laugh, and love and die. We will always be affected
by gravity, our lives will always be defined by time. Even
if we say different things, we will always be trying to
communicate. Limón Technique is still alive today because
it’s based on things that define our humanity.
What are the personal aspects that you bring
to the work? My music background shapes my views
of dance. Rhythm and phrasing are very important
to the way I choreograph and teach. There are painters
that come into dance and their priority is shape—
I just naturally define movement in terms of time. I also
love the analytic approach—not just how something
feels, but knowing how and why. I love understanding
the movement principles and the physiological process
of making those ideas come alive.
But in class my focus is usually on rhythm and phrasing.
I also use music as a teaching tool, and sometimes
I play piano for classes. When I travel and I don’t speak
the language, I sit down and play and the dancers understand
what I want. Yesterday I had a drummer and
when I played piano with him, the dancers understood
in a different way. It’s another way of communicating
these ideas.
Is that what you did today with your voice?
Yes, I use my voice a lot in class, it’s a great way to
signify movement. I use sounds and words to help the
dancers understand. If I say, ‘Eeeeee,’ they get a sense
of the energy as well as the acceleration and the deceleration
of time. I could also use the image of waves, and
they can imagine waves, but the voice can be much more
articulate about movement qualities.
What is difficult in this technique? Well, the complexity.
The idea of limitless possibilities is artistically liberating,
but that means dancers have limitless demands!
It means you don’t practice one shape or movement
over and over until you perfect it, rather that you learn
how to articulate and control the body without preference
or prejudice. You study to consciously use and
defy gravity, which changes the weight and dynamics of
movement. You strive to become articulate in rhythm
and timing, in defining shapes, in manipulating energy—
and all of these to the extreme. Limitless possibilities
means there is no right and wrong. It’s not black and white,
so it’s not easy to pass on.
What consequences does this have for teaching?
It gives you freedom and responsibility, the same as
with the dancers. Teachers have to be aware of the students’
needs and abilities, and vary the material to
suit them. When I teach ballet dancers, I emphasize the
use of weight and the body yielding to gravity; they’re
used to holding their weight up, so to them this feels
heavy and floppy. When I teach dancers only trained in
Contact Improvisation, I can teach the same class but
I emphasize the resistance to gravity, or the shapes in the
movement.
What do you think is useful in training? Training
gives the dancer articulation of body, mind, and psyche.
It widens their ability to meet the artistic demands of
choreography and performance. If you train dancers to
be articulate, without preferences or prejudices, you give
them the potential and freedom to express themselves
and grow as an artist.
Is there something you like in training, and
something you don’t like in training? I love training
because I learn about my body and myself. I always
get metaphors for my life through dance, and I also get
metaphors for dance in my life. To me, they are the same.
What kind of abilities and skills do you need in
order to pass on this technique? Well, there are certain
things that apply to all dance teachers: expertise in
what you’re teaching, the ability to impart this knowledge
to your students, a good understanding of anatomy,
communication skills, imagination, compassion for your
students.
Musicality is important in all dance techniques, but in
Limón Technique it’s vital. Defining time is an intrinsic
part of the technique since it defines the movement
dynamics. And it helps a lot to have choreographic abilities;
since Limón is not codified, we are always creating
phrases and exercises.
Considering these principles, is there one
particularly important quality for a teacher to have?
You have to be human! Seriously, it helps to understand
the philosophy behind the principles. We believe we
are people first, and dancers second. We dance as a way
to express our humanity, all of our principles come
from there. Everything we do is a reflection of that core
idea, from the physical movements to how we relate to
each other. For example, the energy in the room: I have
to create an atmosphere where the dancers feel safe
enough to release and fall. If I wanted them to contract
all their muscles I could yell at them, which makes them