AllMovie

Seminal Mexican-American choreographer José Limón performs three of his most famous works in this collection of three performances originally aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Company in the 1950s. In "The Moor's Pavane" Limón teams with fellow dancers Lucas Iloving, Pauling Koner, and Betty Jones to offer a one-act interpretation of Othello that is accompanied by the music of Henry Purcell. "The Traitor" transplants the tragedy of Judas to modern times to offer Limón's pointed response to the McCarthy hearings that heated the political climate of the 1950s, and "The Emperor Jones," offers Limón's unique take on playwright Eugene O'Neill's tale of an escaped fugitive who ironically succumbs to the very tyranny he rallies against.