1. Ensuring Arts Education for students in New York City
Part of the Community Engagement Program of
The José Limón Dance Foundation
2010/2011

2. Limón4Kids is the newest Arts and Education program to introduce
middle-school youth in largely Hispanic neighborhoods in New York
City to modern dance and to modern dance pioneer José
Limón. The program focuses on the goals of dance-making, dance
technique, dance literacy, and performing.
The inspiration and content of the program is José Limón’s famous
work “La Malinche.” All 13 members of the Limón Company are
involved in the project. In out first edition, the Limón Dance
company worked with approximately 170 enthusiastic students,
grades 6 & 8, in their schools in Washington Heights and Bayside,
Queens. Program was led by the Company’s Associate Artistic Company Member Daniel Fetecua in one of the
Director Roxane D’Orleans Juste, a Company member since 1983, sessions
master teacher, stager of Limón works for companies around the
world, and Bessie Award winner “for her majestic stage presence,
infectious lightness, joyousness and emotional depth in works by
José Limón, Donald McKayle, Susanne Linke and others.”

3. Limón4Kids takes place over a three-weeks period. The
curriculum is broken down into four key areas:
choreography; literacy; performance and
technique. Limón’s personal story introduces the
students to such concepts as heritage, community,
identity and how we communicate. The bi-weekly
movement classes inspired by La Malinche are used as a
tool to help students develop movement language skills,
thread through an artist’s and their own imaginary world,
and discuss social issues that may be relevant to their
own life journey. After learning sections of La Malinche,
students are asked to create their own dance in
relationship to the story, and then teach their
choreography to their classmates. At the conclusion of
the school residency, students attend a company matinee
performance of La Malinche. Following the performance
students have their own informal showcase for their
family, friends and the local community.
Students at the Final Gala at PS1 187

4. •Reach the Hispanic community using Limón’s
personal story as a way to instill cultural pride and a
strong sense of identity
•Widely disseminate art instruction to students who
may not otherwise have access to a cultural arts
curriculum
•Provide the opportunity for youth to learn about the
Limón legacy through an art enhanced curricula
•Relate to movement as a universal language, through
discovery and exploration of rhythm, dynamics,
phrasing, space, and form
•Develop an arts-in-education program that meets
Department of Education learning standards, including
physical, social, cognitive, and aesthetic benchmark
•Provide support to schools for development of their
art programs and encourage innovative teaching
practices

5. “Did you see how they put on their medals?
Because they felt that sense of pride…
There was 100% participation, I have never seen
this”
Ann Biddle, Arts and Education Consultant
“Learning the power of movement and
working in groups of ten was very
empowering. I liked it!”
Sharda Mia Torres, Class 6 B PS 187, Washington Heights, NYC
“It felt great to perform,
to be on stage”
Michael Pena, Class 8 H - MS74 –
Bayside , Queens

6. All the dance we did was pretty good, specially
because it really helps you to express yourself,
and express your feelings, and it was pretty
fun. The whole movie about José Limón really
inspired us”
Anthony Cersosimo, Class 8H,
MS 74, Bayside Queens
“It was very interesting, it was
never the same thing over and
over again. They tought me
“We learn about things I have never learnt
multicultural histories before, I liked it”
through the dances”
Gustov Utstol, Class 6 A, PS 187,
Washington Heights, NYC
Jin Ju Min, Class 8 D MS 74, Bayside,
Queens

7. In this second edition of Limón4Kids, the Limón Dance
Company will expand the program to the 5 boroughs of New
York City in order to reach an estimate of 500 students.
The session will take place in November 2010 and the first
trimester of 2011
Fundraising goal for 2010-2011:
$150,000
Sponsors in 2010:
Support for the pilot program is generously provided by the Dr.
Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, Mex-Am Foundation, and
the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

8. Please make checks payable to:
JOSÉ LIMÓN DANCE FOUNDATION, INC.
307 West 38th Street, Suite # 1105
New York, NY 10018
Transfer Information:
JOSÉ LIMÓN DANCE FOUNDATION
Account #9511-5811
Citibank (Branch #122)
555 LaGuardia Place
New York, NY 10012, USA
Pablo Francisco Ruvalcaba Tovar, Limon THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING US!
Dance Company Member teaching class