Teamwork was a central aspect to the entire Jose Limon dance performance, as it played a great role in the execution of every act. Starting with Act 1, the teamwork was especially significant as the pairs flowed perfectly and thrived off each others emotions and body language. The male/female pairing in the dances had a high degree of teamwork, as it was pointed out that the females relied more on their toes and the males used more heel movement. Subtle differences such as this led to the synchronized movements and overall organization of the dance. Furthermore, the formations in Act 1 led to successful teamwork as well, for each individual had to enter and exit according to the previous individual. The coordination of times was extremely important and greatly influenced the success of the dance as a whole.

When looking at Act 2 specifically, it is important to note the expressions of the female dancers as the military takeover begins. Each step and movement from the “villain” resulted in immediate, involuntary actions of the dancers, such as the synchronized cowering. Teamwork can also be seen in the interaction between “good” and “bad” in Act 2, which helped develop the plot as a whole and enabled the audience to get a better sense of the different characters involved. The “soldiers” displayed a great deal of teamwork in their leaps/formations across the stage. Each dancer landed to create a perfectly structured diagonal shape and contributed to the emphasis of the piece as a whole.

The idea of teamwork can further be applied when examining how quickly the dancers had to recompose themselves during the short break in between acts. Despite being sweaty and out of breath from the routines, each individual was well coordinated with one another and regained their composure very quickly and in an orderly fashion. Lastly, it’s also important to note the teamwork between the dancers and the pianist. Every step followed and reflected the beat/mood of the music so precisely. The body movements and emotions greatly fluctuated according to the feel of the music. It was also interesting to hear how the dance itself was a reflection of history, as the characters represented real people. This further signifies the emphasis of teamwork/relation in the entirety of the dance. Overall, I really appreciated the teamwork in the performance as it had a major role in the success of the dances.