Dance to the African Drums: A Family Experience

Select Sundays, June 29, July 13, 27, August 10, 24 from 11am-12pm

Join artist Noel Staples-Freeman for a joyful West African dance class for families of all ages! Explore the vibrant rhythms and movement of West African culture while connecting with each other through dance. This fun and playful class invites creativity, learning through play, celebrates family bonds, and offers a unique opportunity to experience the joy of movement together. We’ll also explore the roots of traditional movement and the stories they tell, deepening our connection to the culture. $30 per class, per family. Recommended for all ages. Class size will be limited to 12 families per event. Registration will open later this spring.

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2025 Waitlist Policy
If a class is unavailable, we encourage you to continue checking our website for released tickets and/or call the Community Engagement department at 413.243.9919 x163. If you purchase a ticket and cannot attend the workshop, please contact the Box Office as soon as possible to allow for spots to be released. If you require a refund due to illness or cancellation of a workshop, please contact the Box Office prior to your workshop start time so we may accommodate you with a refund, including all fees. We thank you in advance for being courteous to those around you and keeping our campus safe.

Refund Policy
Please visit the Box Office Policies page to learn more.

Afro Latin Jazz and Soul Experience – Community Residency with Sekou McMiller & Friends

June 12–15 | Free with registration encouraged

Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Sekou McMiller’s Afro Latin Jazz and Soul Experience to Pittsfield for a multi-day community residency. This dynamic series of movement workshops, listening sessions, and dance parties, led by Sekou and his collaborators, will immerse participants in themes from his upcoming premiere Urban Love Suite, which will be performed during Week 6 of the Festival. The residency will explore the joy of celebration, parades, and rituals across cultures, from Mardi Gras in New Orleans to Carnival in Trinidad and other global festivities. Participants of all ages are invited to join in the fun, learn, and celebrate through movement and sound. Details to be announced. Registration will open later this spring.

Community Day
Featuring Artists of the Berkshires

Friday, August 15

2:30-5:30pm | Community Day | Pillow Grounds

Everyone is invited to this free, kid-friendly, all-ages Friday afternoon, featuring movement classes as well as dance-themed children’s activities and tours. Check back soon as events are confirmed.

5:30pm | Artists of the Berkshires | Henry J. Leir Stage

The outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage hosts selected Berkshire-region artists for a special one-day-only performance. Tickets to this performance and all Community Day programs are free. 

The open call for performing artists is now live—click here to apply and learn more.
Applications are due by Friday, May 30 at 11:59pm ET. Eligibility is limited to dancers or companies based in the Berkshires and nearby counties in MA, NY, and CT.

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Lead support for Community Day is provided by Berkshire Health Systems.

 

Aging in Community: Dancing our Joys and Challenges

Saturday, February 15 from 11am–12:30pm
Free | Open to all, with a special invitation to our senior community. All abilities welcome.

Join Jacob’s Pillow for a free dance and movement workshop about aging and community, led by artists Michael Richter and Liv Schaffer. Participants can expect gentle and creative movement explored individually and in collaboration with peers, and reflective dialogue. Comfortable clothing to move in is recommended.

Save your space for this free event! Space is limited. RSVP is strongly encouraged online or by calling 413.243.9919 ext. 167. Tickets are available at the door, pending availability.

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This workshop is in partnership with the Common Room at Zion Lutheran Church, and part of the 10×10 Upstreet Arts Festival, the Berkshires’ first winter arts festival featuring new art, dance, music, theater, and more. Learn more about the 10×10 Festival here.

Family Music & Dance

Select Sundays, July 6, 20 & August 3, 17 from 11am-12pm

Join Sandy Russell, a cherished teacher with over 20 years of experience in the Berkshires, for a taste of the Music Together® program. Her classes ignite children’s natural passion for music and movement. With active participation from parents and caregivers, regardless of musical expertise, everyone has fun. Through playful engagement in a stress-free environment, this class fosters music and movement connections between adults and children, aiming to infuse everyday family life with the joy of music-making. $25 per class, per family. Recommended for ages 6 and under. Class size will be limited to 12 families per event. Registration will open later this spring.

Also check out Dance to the African Drums: A Family Experience, a joyful, all-ages class that brings families together through rhythm and movement.

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2025 Waitlist Policy
If a class is unavailable, we encourage you to continue checking our website for released tickets and/or call the Community Engagement department at 413.243.9919 x163. If you purchase a ticket and cannot attend the workshop, please contact the Box Office as soon as possible to allow for spots to be released. If you require a refund due to illness or cancellation of a workshop, please contact the Box Office prior to your workshop start time so we may accommodate you with a refund, including all fees. We thank you in advance for being courteous to those around you and keeping our campus safe.

Refund Policy
Please visit the Box Office Policies page to learn more.

The Art of Black Grace 3/5

Created by Neil Ieremia

A Dance & Technology Event

Jacob’s Pillow explores the intersection of dance and technology this summer with immersive experiences for the whole family. The world premiere of The Art of Black Grace 3/5 combines dance, music, art, and video recordings that bring small groups of visitors face-to-face with the dancers of Black Grace, one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance companies. In the span of roughly 30 minutes, the seated audience will be introduced to the work of the company and then interact virtually with dancers who will teach them the choreography of Handgame, a dance with Samoan cultural roots that Black Grace has performed around the world, including at Jacob’s Pillow in 2005. 

While Handgame is high-energy and percussive—marked by clapping, stomping, and jumping—the dance uses simple movement patterns and rhythms, making it accessible for all ages to participate in, with no dance experience necessary. Although the dancers will appear via video, there is no live two-way stream, and participants are not recorded. Black Grace has had three previous engagements at Jacob’s Pillow: in 2004, 2005, and 2022.

This is a FREE and unticketed event—simply come to the doors of Sommers Studio. Staff will offer timed entry every 30 minutes, beginning at noon. Last entry is at 4:30pm.

Lead support for The Art of Black Grace is generously provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

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“How can dance companies seeking to reduce their carbon footprint give audiences a dance experience without ever boarding a plane? How can companies use technology to create immersive experiences that bring audiences into dance in ways that are beyond in person experiences and have the capacity to engage large audiences outside of traditional venues?

New Zealand’s Black Grace and its Founding Artistic Director, Neil Ieremia, are asking these questions in this third out of five immersive experiences created in anticipation of the company’s 30th Anniversary in 2025. Jacob’s Pillow gave Black Grace its U.S. debut in 2004, and the company returned in 2005 and again in 2022 in honor of our 90th Anniversary, when they performed their signature work, Minoi. (You will see footage of that performance during this experience).

As Jacob’s Pillow thinks deeply about the ways technology can enhance and provide access to dance performance, we partnered with Black Grace to secure a grant from Creative New Zealand to support the world premiere you will experience today. Enjoy!”

– Pamela Tatge, Executive & Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow

Public Tours
Saturdays, 5pm

Learn about the history and legends of Jacob’s Pillow on a free 30-minute guided tour of the National Historic Landmark grounds. Guided walking tours, led by Jacob’s Pillow staff and interns, start at the Welcome Center.

Eastern Woodlands Homesite

Saturday, August 2 from 11am-12:30pm
Free with registration encouraged

Join Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr., Creative Director of No Loose Braids, with Tracy Ramos, William SmallEarCoyote Connors, Miguel WanderingTurtle Garate, and Nazario TallHairRedDeer Garate to learn about Eastern Woodlands culture, land use, and living presence through exploration of a traditional Nipmuc homesite, located outdoors next to Jacob’s Garden. Please wear sturdy shoes appropriate for dirt paths, grass, and uneven terrain. Meet at the Welcome Center before walking along George Carter Road. Registration will open later this spring.

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About the Homesite

Built by Nipmuc citizens Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr. and Nazario TallHairRedDeer Garate, this homesite brings Eastern Woodlands peoples and the public together to highlight urgent issues of access, health, and the sustainability of cedar swamps in the Eastern Woodlands.

The structures are crafted from cedar trees harvested from Douglas State Forest and are centered around the hearth, where Gaines led the burning of a miniature mishoon (an example of a dugout canoe) over three days in May 2022. The homesite includes a traditional fishnet station, a tripod and fish cookstation, fleshing and stretching poles used to process deer skin into hides, a deer hide rack, a large double tripod cooksite, and a miniature mishoon.

“Our people have kept a lot, but we’ve lost a lot as well,” says Gaines. “It’s really become our purpose, our mission, to have cultural revitalization and cultural preservation. One of those ways we do that is continuously building sites like this …. doing all these things that we did traditionally, so that these things don’t get lost.”

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About No Loose Braids

No Loose Braids is a Nipmuc-led organization working to bring Eastern Woodland Tribal communities together in unity through cultural revitalization of traditional practices to revive community and culture. No Loose Braids aims to teach the original ways and create a space for Indigenous folks to step out of colonization, and the fractured ways of colonized thinking, to reconnect with ancestral knowledge, strengthen bonds of reciprocity, and bring balance back to our People and the Earth. No Loose Braids also works to build opportunities for future generations through changing structures of systemic marginalization and exclusion by advocating for Tribal rights and engaging in dialogue in colonial spaces.

Public Tours of Jacob’s Garden

Sunday, July 20 and Saturday, August 23 from 12-1pm
Free with suggested donation of $10-$20/person

Jacob’s Pillow inaugurated the 1.5-acre Jacob’s Garden in 2021 as a place to grow fruits, vegetables, native flowers, and herbs, while connecting to the land’s multiple histories. Drawing direct inspiration from Ted Shawn’s original 1931 “friendship garden,” the garden serves as a living tribute to connection and cultivation.

July 20: A guided tour of the garden beds, apiary, rainwater harvesting system, and pollinator meadow will educate visitors on the plantings, practices, and stories that shape the space. Visitors can take part in a brief stretch and movement meditation led by Adam Weinert, and contribute to the garden’s health by turning the compost heap. Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes appropriate for dirt paths, grass, and uneven terrain. Meet at the Welcome Center before walking along George Carter Road.

August 23: In this hands-on bouquet-making workshop, using flowers and herbs grown at Jacob’s Garden, participants will create their own seasonal bouquet to take home while learning about the plantings, growing practices, and the stories behind the garden. No experience necessary; come ready to connect with nature and creativity. Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes appropriate for dirt paths, grass, and uneven terrain. Meet at the Welcome Center before walking along George Carter Road.

Read more about Jacob’s Garden, including an interview with Adam Weinert, on our blog.

Travel across the Berkshires with Jacob’s Pillow artists and witness dance in the parks of our community.

Catch outdoor dance performances across the Berkshires, featuring touring and Berkshire-region dance artists. Pack a blanket or outdoor chair and enjoy these free pop-up performances with family and friends in June (in Pittsfield) and August (in Great Barrington and Becket). Lead support for On the Road is generously provided by Mill Town Foundation.

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August Performances

CANCELED | Friday, August 9, 7pm in Great Barrington
Jacob’s Pillow On the Road at Berkshire Busk! on Railroad Street featuring Querencia Dance Company.

Saturday, August 10, 3pm in Becket
Jacob’s Pillow On the Road at Becket Arts Center featuring a special salsa lecture/demonstration with Querencia Dance Company Co-Directors Michelle Garcia and Julian De Las Nieves.

The Boston-based salsa troupe Querencia Dance Company features high-energy dances by performance teams as well as dances by founders and company leaders Michelle Garcia and Julian De Las Nieves. Garcia and De Las Nieves are trained Boston-based salsa dancers who travel as performers, choreographers, and instructors not only throughout the U.S. but also internationally. They have a shared goal of inspiring people through the arts and continuing to put Latin dance on not only a more visible map, but also an academic one.

June Performance

This event took place on June 7, 2024 in Pittsfield
Jacob’s Pillow On the Road at First Fridays at Five! featured KR3Ts Dance Company, with a Wandering Dance Society dance circle open to all.

For the safety of artists and the audience, these performances may be moved inside or canceled in the event of inclement weather. Please check our website for any important updates. We will announce a rain plan location as needed on our website approximately 3 hours in advance of each performance.

Details and additional programming to be announced; dates and locations subject to change.

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On the Road is made possible with generous support provided by the Feigenbaum Foundation, Mill Town Foundation, and the Pittsfield Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.