JOSÉ LIMÓN DANCE FOUNDATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ivan Sacks, Chair
Robert A. Meister, Treasurer & Past Chair
Tina Evans, Secretary
Paula Carriço
Kurt Douglas
Sylvia Ann Hewlett
Jill Javier
Jonathan Leinbach, MD
Cecilia Picón
Katrina Robinson

STAFF

Dante Puleio, Artistic Director
Michelle Preston, Executive Director
Logan Frances Kruger, Associate Artistic Director
Lena Lauer, Director of Limón Institute
Daniel Fetecua Soto, Trainee Program Director
Cristina Moya-Palacios, Institute Administrator
Donnell Williams, Licensing Manager
Deborah Corrales, Company General Manager
Gabriel Cirio, Development & Communication Manager
Elizagrace Madrone, Membership & Development Operations Manager

William Schaffner, Stage Manager
Corey Whittemore, Technical Manager
Olivia Zacchia, Wardrobe Supervisor

Founders

JOSÉ LIMÓN (Founder/Choreographer, 1908-1972) electrified the world with his dynamic masculine dancing and dramatic choreography. One of the 20th century’s most important and influential dance makers, he spent his career pioneering a new art form and fighting for its recognition. Born in Culiacán, Mexico in 1908, he moved to California in 1915, and in 1928 came to New York where he saw his first dance program. Limón enrolled in Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman’s dance school and performed in several of their works from 1930 to 1940. In 1946, with Doris Humphrey as Artistic Director, Limón formed his own company. Over the next 25 years, he established himself and his company as a major force of 20th century dance. Limón created a total of 74 works, including The Moor’s Pavane, Concerto Grosso, and Missa Brevis.

DORIS HUMPHREY (Founder/Choreographer, 1895-1958) is recognized as a founder of American Modern Dance. She developed a distinctive movement approach based on the body’s relationship to gravity and the use of weight. The company she formed with Charles Weidman produced great dances as well as outstanding performers, José Limón among them. When physical disability ended her career as a dancer, she became the Artistic Director for José Limón and his company, creating new works for him and for The Juilliard.

Artistic Leadership

DANTE PULEIO (Artistic Director, He/Him), a widely respected former member of the Limón Dance Company for more than a decade, Puleio was appointed the sixth Artistic Director in the Company’s 79-year history, a position that originated with Doris Humphrey. After a diverse performing career with the Limón Dance Company, touring national and international musical theatre productions, television and film, he received his MFA from University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on contextualizing mid 20th century dance for the contemporary artist and audience. He is committed to implementing that research by celebrating José Limón's historical legacy and reimagining his intention and vision to reflect the rapidly shifting 21st century landscape.

LOGAN FRANCES KRUGER (Associate Artistic Director, She/Her) an Atlanta, Georgia native, received her early training from Annette Lewis and Pamala Jones-Malavé, and went on to receive a BFA from The Juilliard School.  Her extensive performing career has included work with renowned artists such as Shen Wei, Jonah Bokaer and Adam H Weinert. Logan was a principal dancer with the Limón Dance Company for 9 years, and was the Company’s Rehearsal Director for 4 years before being appointed Associate Artistic Director in 2021.   Logan has taught master classes and workshops across the globe, and is a reconstructor of Limón’s repertory. 

Guest Collaborators

ASZURE BARTON (Choreographer, She/Her) has been creating dances for as long as she can remember. Her works have been performed on stages worldwide as well as in museums and exhibits. She has choreographed for film, opera, and theater, including Broadway. Early in her career, she founded her own project, Aszure Barton & Artists, in order to create an interdisciplinary and collaborative platform for process-centered creation, resulting in choreography that the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts has equated to “watching the physical unfurling of the human psyche.” Barton has worked with artists and companies including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jessica Chastain, Misty Copeland, Cyndi Lauper, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Nederlands Dans Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Hamburg Ballett, Teatro alla Scala, among others. Barton recently premiered an evening-length work for San Francisco Ballet in collaboration with British music producer/DJ Floating Points, media artists Hamill Industries, and designer Michelle Jank. Barton is the current Resident Artist at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and was a longtime artist in residence at Baryshnikov Arts. Her latest venture is a collaboration with award-winning composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire; the two have created four works together to date. Their revered work, A a | a B : B E N D, will be touring internationally through upcoming seasons. Barton is a Bessie Awardee, a recipient of the prestigious Arts & Letters award, and Ambassador of contemporary choreography in Canada. As an educator, Aszure collaborates regularly with institutions including The Juilliard School and Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE (Composer, He/Him) Described by NPR Music as “a trumpeter of deep expressive resources and a composer of kaleidoscopic vision,” Ambrose Akinmusire has made a home at the crossroads of different musical forms and languages, from post-bop and avant-garde jazz to contemporary chamber music and hip-hop to singer-songwriter aesthetics. He began recording for Blue Note in 2011, earning widespread acclaim for his albums when the heart emerges glistening (produced by Jason Moran), the imagined savior is far easier to paint (“gorgeous, moving” – JazzTimes), A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard (“amazingly effective” – DownBeat), Origami Harvest (Top Albums of 2018, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times), and on the tender spot of every calloused moment (2021 GRAMMY) nominee, Best Jazz Instrumental Album).

Akinmusire has also received numerous prestigious composer commissions; created music for film and television projects including the new Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal series “Blindspotting”; appeared as a featured soloist with the legendary artists Archie Shepp and Roscoe Mitchell; and made signal contributions to groundbreaking albums including Mary Halvorson’s Code Girl, Brad Mehldau’s Finding Gabriel and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly (on the closing track “Mortal Man”). He also played on Joni Mitchell’s 2014 release Love Has Many Faces, and in 2018 accompanied Chaka Khan, James Taylor and other luminaries honoring Mitchell in a gala concert documented on Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration. Other sideman highlights include Jack DeJohnette, Marcus Miller, Steve Coleman Terri Lyne Carrington, and many others. Akinmusire received his 2nd GRAMMY nomination, this time for “Best Improvised Solo” on Carrington’s 2022 release, New Standards Vol 1

The Company

NATALIE CLEVENGER (Dancer, She/They), from Mooresville, IN and received her BFA in dance from the University of Arizona in 2018. Upon graduation, Natalie joined Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis, IN and danced with the company for three seasons. Natalie joined Limón Dance Company in 2022.

JOEY COLUMBUS (Dancer, He/Him) began his dance training in the Chicagoland area before obtaining his BFA in dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program. He has performed with companies such as RIOULT and Company XIV as well as at the Metropolitan Opera.

IAN DEBONO (Dancer, He/Him), from San Francisco, graduated from The Juilliard School in 2023 with a BFA in Dance. There, he has performed works by Ohad Naharin, Medhi Walerski, Norbert De La Cruz III, Spenser Theberge, and Jermaine Spivey, among others. Currently, Ian is a performing member of The Metropolitan Opera and is thrilled to be joining the Limón Company!

MJ EDWARDS (Dancer, They/Them), from Middletown, NY, studied at LaGuardia High School, MOVE|NYC|, San Francisco Ballet School, and The Juilliard School. They worked with choreographers Ohad Naharin, Aszure Barton, and Kayla Farrish. They received the SFBS 2018-2019 Choreographic Fellowship and are a 2019 YoungArts winner. In 2021, MJ joined the Limón Dance Company.

MARIAH GRAVELIN (Dancer, She/Her) joined the Limón Company in 2019 where she has performed and taught nationwide. She holds a BFA from Alvin Ailey/Fordham University (2018). She is on faculty for the Limón Institute and can be found with her camera in hand photographing when not dancing.

JOHNSON GUO (Dancer, He/Him) began his dance training at NYC’s Ballet Tech Program. He continued his learnings at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. Before graduating with a BFA degree in dance performance, Johnson joined the esteemed Limón dance company in 2021.

DAVID KEINGATTI (Dancer, He/Him), originally from Columbia, MO, started dancing at the age of six. He trained at Columbia Performing Arts Centre and in summer programs like Ballet Chicago, Perry Mansfield, The Acting Studio, and Juilliard. He currently attends SUNY Purchase Conservatory Dance and will graduate in the spring of 2025.

DEEPA LIEGEL (Dancer, She/Her) joined Limón Dance Company in 2021. She was born in Calcutta, India and raised in Seattle, Washington. Liegel trained with Cornish Preparatory Dance, Seattle Theatre Group and Leela Kathak Dance. BFA in Dance Performance and minor in arts administration from SMU. Previously with: Mark Morris Dance Group and Metropolitan Opera. Classical pilates instructor and avid reader. Online: @deepaleaps.

TY MORRISON (Dancer, He/Him), from Boston, received his BFA from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee performing works by choreographers Darrell Moultrie,   Catherine Coury, and Bradley Shelver. He then joined BODYTRAFFIC internationally performing works by choreographers Micaela Taylor, Alejandro Cerrudo, Fernando Magadan, Juel D. Lane, and more.

OLIVIA MOZIE (Dancer, She/Her), born in Greenville, SC began dancing at the age of four and continued her studies at The South Carolina Governor’s School, graduating in 2020. In 2024, Olivia graduated from Boston Conservatory at Berklee with a B.F.A. in Contemporary Dance Performance. Olivia joined the Limón Company in January 2024.

ERIC PARRA (Dancer, He/Him), is a first-generation Colombian-American artist from Union City, NJ. He earned his BFA in Dance at Montclair State University. Select   credits: Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (US Tour), The Life and Times of Malcolm X (US Tour). Eric is currently with Limón Dance Company and an Ensemble Dancer for Hell's Kitchen on Broadway.

JESSICA SGAMBELLURI (Dancer, She/Her) is a 2014 graduate of Marymount Manhattan College. Jessica has danced for Graham 2, TED Talks Live, Caterina Rago Dance Company, The Metropolitan Opera, and Buglisi Dance Theatre. Jessica joined the company in 2019.

SAVANNAH SPRATT (Dancer, She/Her) joined the company in 2016. Hailing from Rochester, PA, she holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from UNCSA where she was a recipient of the Sarah Graham Keenan Scholarship. Beyond Limón, she has collaborated with Madeline Hollander, Hélène Simoneau Danse and the Merce Cunningham Trust, notably performing in the Los Angeles installation of Night of 100 Solos. Beyond dance, she enjoys knitting.

LAUREN TWOMLEY (Dancer, She/Her), born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated from SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Arts Management. Lauren works as a dancer and operations manager for Peter Stathas Dance, and is a teaching artist for the José Limón Dance Foundation. She joined the Limón Dance Company in 2019 and values connection, diversity, and play in her artistic endeavors.