The
mission of Jacob's Pillow is to support dance creation, presentation,
education, and preservation, and to engage and deepen public appreciation
and support for dance.
Jacob's
Pillow, the home of America's longest-running dance festival,
celebrates its 76th anniversary in 2008.
The
only dance institution to be named a National Historic Landmark,
it encompasses—beyond the world-class performances by leading
companies — a professional school, rare and extensive archives
open to the public free of charge, an Intern program, year-round
Community Programs, and a Creative Development Residency program.
The historic site includes 163 acres, 31 buildings, three unique
stages (including the first theater in the U.S. built specifically
for dance), three dance
studios, exhibition spaces, restaurants, the Pillow Store, residential
housing, administrative offices, a health center, gardens, trails,
and woodlands.
The
Pillow presents dance from all over the world in all forms, styles,
and traditions, plus approximately 200 free events each season,
including performances, lectures, tours, film showings, exhibits,
and talks with artists, which result in around 83,000 visitor
experiences each summer.
Located
in the town of Becket in the Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts,
Jacob's Pillow was originally the Carter family farm in the 1700s,
and in the 1800s served as a station on the Underground Railroad.
Its pioneering spirit was furthered in 1933, when legendary dancer,
teacher, and choreographer Ted Shawn founded the Festival as a
showcase for his company of Men Dancers and as a home for dance
in the U.S.
