José Limón Dance Foundation 80th Anniversary Gala to Honor Kristen Brogdon & Anna Di Stasi

The José Limón Dance Foundation has announced its 80th Anniversary Gala, honoring Kristen Brogdon & Northrop and Anna Di Stasi and the evening will be dedicated to Carla Maxwell The Gala will take place on April 30, 2026 at Lavan Midtown, 641W 42nd St, NYC.

The José Limón Dance Foundation's 2026 Gala honors eight decades of José Limón's foundational legacy and ongoing impact on modern dance. A cocktail reception at 6PM inspired by José Limón's artistic beginnings in the 1930's will be followed by dinner at 7PM in a living gallery - charting the Company's evolution with archival photographs, historic film excerpts, and live performance narrated by former Limón Dance company member and Hell's Kitchen on Broadway performer Eric Parra. The evening will conclude with an awards ceremony at 8:30PM followed by a dance party with DJ Aaron Elvis. For more information, and to reserve a seat, please visit https://www.limon.nyc/gala.

The José Limón Dance Foundation is proud to honor Kristen Brogdon & Northrop at the University of Minnesota with the Limón Award for Commissioning Excellence, in recognition of their commitment to bold artistic direction and the nurturing of new works, including the upcoming reimagining of José Limón's The Moor's Pavane by Akram Khan. They are also thrilled to honor Anna Di Stasi, Senior VP and Head of Latin American Art at Sotheby's, with the Limón Award for Cultural Visibility and Advocacy, in recognition of her commitment to cultural visibility, cross-border dialogue, and artistic legacy.

Host Committee: Jody & John Arnhold, Paula Carriço, Kurt Douglas, Tina & Wayne Evans, Karl & Sonya Feitelberg, Sylvia Ann Hewlett & Richard Weinert, Christine Jowers Friedman & Robert Friedman, Jill Javier, Jonathan Leinbach, Robert & Jeanne Meister, John E. Oden, Elizabeth Parkinson, Michelle Preston & Brian Kim, Karyn & Ivan Sacks, Raina Sacks-Blankenhorn, Debora Staley, Katrina Robinson

Sponsors include Cone Marshall Group, Sotheby's, and Withers Worldwide.

The José Limón Dance Foundation exists to perpetuate the Limón legacy and its humanistic approach to movement and theater, and to extend the vitality of that vision into the future, through performance, creation, preservation and education.

​The José Limón Dance Foundation supports two entities: the Limón Dance Company, this country's first modern dance repertory company, and the Limón Institute, an educational and archival resource center. In our home-base of New York City, the Limón Institute reaches close to 5,000 students and scholars annually through its education programs (including Limón4Kids), archival library, and New York City classes and workshops.

Founded in 1946 by José Limón and Doris Humphrey, the Limón Dance Company has been at the vanguard of American Modern dance since its inception and is considered one of the world's greatest dance companies. Acclaimed for its dramatic expression, technical mastery and expansive, yet nuanced movement, the Limón Dance Company illustrates the timelessness of José Limón's work and vision. The Company's repertory, which includes classic works in addition to new commissions from contemporary choreographers, possesses an unparalleled breadth and creates unique experiences for audiences around the world.

Choreographer and dancer José Limón is credited with creating one of the world's most important and enduring dance legacies- an art form responsible for the creation, growth and support of modern dance in this country. Numerous honors have been bestowed upon both Limón and the Company he founded in 1946, including most recently the White House's 2008 National Medal of Arts for Lifetime Achievement. José Limón's story is a powerful vehicle for reaching young people today. Immigrating to the United States from Mexico in 1918, Limón is considered one of Mexico's greatest artistic exports, and a role model for Latinx communities throughout the United States. Limón4Kids is an important addition to the Institute's mission, taking the Limón legacy directly into the classrooms of the most under-represented New York City public schools and community centers.

José Limón was one of the most prominent American choreographers in modern dance. His powerful choreography often focused on human drama, incorporating themes from literature, history or religion. Throughout his career, Limón worked to change the image of the male in dance and bring it to a new stature and recognition. Born in 1908 in Culiacan, Mexico, Limón moved to the United States with his family when he was seven years old. He became interested in dance at the age of twenty, after moving to New York City to study painting. He began his studies with pioneer modern dancers Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, and was soon invited to join their company. In 1946 he founded his own company. Limón is best known for his masterpiece, The Moor's Pavane, based on Shakespeare's Othello. He choreographed over seventy-four other works, including The Traitor, The Exiles, There is a Time, Chaconne, Emperor Jones, Carlota, Dances for Isadora, and The Unsung. José Limón died on December 2, 1972. Today, the José Limón Dance Foundation continues his work through two entities: the Limón Dance Company, an international touring repertory company, and the Limón Institute, an educational and archival resource organization.

Kristen Brogdon is Director of Artistic & Community Programs for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. She curates Northrop's Dance, Music, and Film Series and leads the organization's artistic vision and planning, as well as Northrop's education and engagement efforts. From 2015-2019 she directed the Office of the Arts at UNC Wilmington where she founded the Lumina Festival of the Arts. For two years she also managed UNCW's Office of Community Engagement. Prior to her time at UNCW, Ms. Brogdon spent almost eight years at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as Artistic Administrator and General Manager, and nine years managing dance programs at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Ms. Brogdon holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Duke University. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family, and she knows that art and artists have the power to change the world.

Anna Di Stasi is Senior Vice President and Head of Latin American Art at Sotheby's, where she leads the department's global strategy and business development across the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Since joining Sotheby's in 2014, she has played a pivotal role in redefining the market for Latin American art, overseeing major consignments and record-breaking sales that have positioned the category at the forefront of the international art market. Under her leadership, Sotheby's has established itself as the dominant force in the field, capturing unprecedented market share and setting new standards for the industry. In 2018, Di Stasi led the strategic integration of Latin American art into Sotheby's global Impressionist, Modern, and Contemporary Art sales. This innovative approach elevated the category to new heights, culminating in a series of historic results-including back-to-back record totals in 2020, 2021, and a landmark $112 million in 2024. Most recently, her team established a new auction record for a woman artist for Frida Kahlo's, El sueño, la cama which achieved $54 million in November 2025. Di Stasi lives in New York with her husband and two kids