Pillow Pages: Summer 2009 Alumni Updates
Summer 2009 Alumni Update
compiled by Galen Danskin, General Management Intern
This summer, the Pillow welcomes back 31 alumni to take part in the 2009 Festival Season as Artistic Directors, choreographers, dancers, company staff, and Pillow staff.
Seven Artistic Directors came from The School at Jacob's Pillow: Doug Elkins ('82 Student) of Doug Elkins and Friends; Dawn Lane ('85 Modern) of Dawn Lane & Co.; Jacinta Vlach ('95 Contemporary) of Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater; Adrienne Westwood ('98 Jazz) of VIA Dance Collaborative; Adele Myers ('01 Choreographers Lab) of Adele Myers and Dancers; Avi Scher ('05 Ballet) of Avi Scher & Dancers; and Amanda Selwyn ('08 Choreographers Lab) of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre
Another eleven alumni are appearing with 2009 Festival companies. They include: Robert Swinston ('71 Student) with Merce Cunningham Dance Company; Kristina Berger ('94 Modern) with Erick Hawkins Dance Company; Jesse Zaritt ('99 Modern Traditions) with Helen Simoneau; Christopher Williams ('01 Choreographers Lab) with Rebecca Lazier; Jenna Martin ('02 Cultural) with Jacinta Vlach; Jubal Battisti ('02 Ballet) with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet; Melissa Toogood ('03 Contemporary) with Merce Cunningham Dance Company; choreographer Emery LeCrone ('03 Ballet) with a work in Avi Scher & Dancers; Yesid Lopez ('06 Jazz) with Ballet Hispanico; and Jarvis McKinley ('05 Cultural Traditions) with Ballet Noir.
Other Former interns working with companies include: Merce Cunningham Wardrobe Supervisor Anna Finke ('03 Festival Intern), Merce Cunningham Company Manager Geoffrey Finger ('05 Festival Intern), and Gallim Dance Company Manager, Chelsea Goding ('08 Festival Intern).
Furthermore, nine Pillow alum are part of the 2009 Pillow Festival Staff. Norton Owen ('76 Student), Director of Preservation, and Alison Hart ('98 Student), Individual Support Manager, and "J.R." Glover ('88 Intern) Director of Education, are part of the year-around Pillow staff. Seasonal Festival staff includes six past interns: Carley Manion ('05) Doris Duke Theatre Production Coordinator, Mike Dostal ('07) Lighting Supervisor, Sarah Fujiwara ('08) Sound Apprentice, Katie Link ('08) Inside/Out Apprentice, Dora Quintanilla ('08) Artist and Event Services Manager, and Heather Sparling ('08), Lighting Apprentice.
A plethora of Pillow Alumni also emerged at The A.W.A.R.D. Show 2009 (Artists With Audiences Responding to Dance). Finalists of this audience-decided choreography competition included six Pillow alums: Sonia Dawkins ('00 Choreographers Lab); Lauren Edson ('03 Contemporary); Emery LeCrone ('03 Ballet); and Shannon Mockli ('04 Festival Intern); Jumatatu Poe ('05 Cultural Traditions); and Sidra Bell ('05 Choreographers Lab).
Jane Goldberg ('64 Student) will be doing a PillowTalk and book-signing to promote her book, Shoot Me While I'm Happy.
Caro Thompson (Director of Video Documentation '82) received top honors at the 52nd annual Boston/ New England Regional Emmy Award Ceremony on May 30th for her documentary, Champlain: The Lake Between.
Bradley Shelver ('02 Contemporary) dances with the Mark Morris Dance Company. He recently premiered two works of his own at festivals in Sweden and Denmark.
Eboni Hawkins, ('05 Festival Intern), currently works for see. think. dance., a small San Francisco-based organization that supports emerging dance artists and inventive, radical movement voices.
Michael and Nathan Foster, (brothers, '08 Ballet) both continue to excel in their art form. Currently, Michael is a soloist with Hanover Ballet in Germany and Nathan is on scholarship at the Houston Ballet Academy.
Click here to read the next Pillow Pages article: Business Alliance Members
compiled by Galen Danskin, General Management Intern
This summer, the Pillow welcomes back 31 alumni to take part in the 2009 Festival Season as Artistic Directors, choreographers, dancers, company staff, and Pillow staff.
Seven Artistic Directors came from The School at Jacob's Pillow: Doug Elkins ('82 Student) of Doug Elkins and Friends; Dawn Lane ('85 Modern) of Dawn Lane & Co.; Jacinta Vlach ('95 Contemporary) of Jacinta Vlach/Liberation Dance Theater; Adrienne Westwood ('98 Jazz) of VIA Dance Collaborative; Adele Myers ('01 Choreographers Lab) of Adele Myers and Dancers; Avi Scher ('05 Ballet) of Avi Scher & Dancers; and Amanda Selwyn ('08 Choreographers Lab) of Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre
Another eleven alumni are appearing with 2009 Festival companies. They include: Robert Swinston ('71 Student) with Merce Cunningham Dance Company; Kristina Berger ('94 Modern) with Erick Hawkins Dance Company; Jesse Zaritt ('99 Modern Traditions) with Helen Simoneau; Christopher Williams ('01 Choreographers Lab) with Rebecca Lazier; Jenna Martin ('02 Cultural) with Jacinta Vlach; Jubal Battisti ('02 Ballet) with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet; Melissa Toogood ('03 Contemporary) with Merce Cunningham Dance Company; choreographer Emery LeCrone ('03 Ballet) with a work in Avi Scher & Dancers; Yesid Lopez ('06 Jazz) with Ballet Hispanico; and Jarvis McKinley ('05 Cultural Traditions) with Ballet Noir.
Other Former interns working with companies include: Merce Cunningham Wardrobe Supervisor Anna Finke ('03 Festival Intern), Merce Cunningham Company Manager Geoffrey Finger ('05 Festival Intern), and Gallim Dance Company Manager, Chelsea Goding ('08 Festival Intern).
Furthermore, nine Pillow alum are part of the 2009 Pillow Festival Staff. Norton Owen ('76 Student), Director of Preservation, and Alison Hart ('98 Student), Individual Support Manager, and "J.R." Glover ('88 Intern) Director of Education, are part of the year-around Pillow staff. Seasonal Festival staff includes six past interns: Carley Manion ('05) Doris Duke Theatre Production Coordinator, Mike Dostal ('07) Lighting Supervisor, Sarah Fujiwara ('08) Sound Apprentice, Katie Link ('08) Inside/Out Apprentice, Dora Quintanilla ('08) Artist and Event Services Manager, and Heather Sparling ('08), Lighting Apprentice.
A plethora of Pillow Alumni also emerged at The A.W.A.R.D. Show 2009 (Artists With Audiences Responding to Dance). Finalists of this audience-decided choreography competition included six Pillow alums: Sonia Dawkins ('00 Choreographers Lab); Lauren Edson ('03 Contemporary); Emery LeCrone ('03 Ballet); and Shannon Mockli ('04 Festival Intern); Jumatatu Poe ('05 Cultural Traditions); and Sidra Bell ('05 Choreographers Lab).
Jane Goldberg ('64 Student) will be doing a PillowTalk and book-signing to promote her book, Shoot Me While I'm Happy.
Caro Thompson (Director of Video Documentation '82) received top honors at the 52nd annual Boston/ New England Regional Emmy Award Ceremony on May 30th for her documentary, Champlain: The Lake Between.
Bradley Shelver ('02 Contemporary) dances with the Mark Morris Dance Company. He recently premiered two works of his own at festivals in Sweden and Denmark.
Eboni Hawkins, ('05 Festival Intern), currently works for see. think. dance., a small San Francisco-based organization that supports emerging dance artists and inventive, radical movement voices.
Michael and Nathan Foster, (brothers, '08 Ballet) both continue to excel in their art form. Currently, Michael is a soloist with Hanover Ballet in Germany and Nathan is on scholarship at the Houston Ballet Academy.
Click here to read the next Pillow Pages article: Business Alliance Members