On Sept. 27 the José Limón Dance Company performed at Iona College, gracing the viewers with the dance “There is a Time.”

Limón was well known throughout the artistic community for his outstanding choreography, and it shows in his special piece.

The work his company performed is based off the story of Ecclesiastes in the Bible. This connection was visible throughout the performance, allowing the audience to see the relationship.

The dance combined the styles of modern dance and ballet in an exciting way. The dancers used emotion frequently, relaying to the audience their internal conflicts and journeys.

Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics Program Director Teresa Delgado said, “It seems to fit the highs and lows of life.”

Beginning with unity shown as the circle of life, the circle broke apart as the dance went on.

Even though the circle becomes shattered, it showed what the principal dancer was missing in his life rather than an absence of unity.

This sense of isolation and disunity portrayed the message of Ecclesiastes that Limón wanted to capture.

The piece “There Is a Time” is a work that genuinely relates to the audience in multiple ways. Everyone has experienced highs and lows in life just like the principal.

On top of this, all humans are bonded together through the circle of life. Limón embraced Ecclesiastes to show the unity of humanity and its connection to God.

As well as being an artistic and perceptive piece, many other aspects of art are shown throughout his dance.

The costumes, which were originally designed by Limón’s wife, were modernized to fit the times. They consisted of very sheer, loose and elongated fabric that added to the effect of fluidity in the dance.

The emotions used in the dance were impressive, with every movement having a corresponding facial expression.

This made it easy to see the high and low points of the dance through the artist’s expression.

Correlating with the emotions was the passion for the work and dance that each artist possessed.

Each dancer connected with the piece on a personal level, bringing the dance to life with their own personal experiences. It was refreshing to see artists who care for their work.

The José Limón Dance Company is a must see for any up and coming artist as well as anyone who wants to view true art in the dance form.

For those who missed their performance in the Murphy Auditorium, they will be performing in New Brunswick, N.J. on Nov. 8 and in Greenvale, N.Y. on Nov. 16.