Longtime Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts faculty member Colin Connor was recently named the next artistic director of the 70-year-old modern dance company, José Limón Dance Foundation.
Connor takes the reigns from Carla Maxwell, who has been artistic director since 1978 and who moves on to the position of legacy director. Connor is the fifth artistic director of the dance company and the first male to take over the position since its founder José Limón.
Connor has been on faculty at CalArts for more than a decade. He has also served in the faculty of The Juilliard School, New York University and the City College of New York. His more than 50 choreographic commissions span the worlds of contemporary, ballet and flamenco companies, and his works have been presented at numerous venues across the Americas and Europe. He was a soloist for the Limón Dance Company for eight years.
Above: Excerpt from Colin Connor’s ‘Draftwork.’
In a press release, former Chairman Robert A. Meister says, “Colin’s talent, artistic vision and energy should invigorate Limón’s transition into the 21st Century.”
Connor adds, “I am thrilled at the opportunity to be with Limón at this time to reinvigorate the way the Limón vision and perspective resonates, and to develop new projects to enliven a vital artistic and human tradition into the future.”
Hailed as one of the world’s greatest dance companies, the Limón Dance Company has been at the vanguard of American Modern dance since its inception in 1946.