The Quilombo Experience: A Community Residency with Luana Dias David

Developmental Residency | April 22–26
Workshop | April 26 from 1-1:45pm
Invited Showing | April 26 from 2-3pm

The Quilombo Experience, by choreographer and visionary Luana Dias David, is a thoughtful exploration of resilience and unity, grounded in the rich cultural heritage of Brazil. Through meticulously crafted costumes, traditional dances, and live music, the project draws inspiration from the historical Quilombos—“In the seventeenth century in Brazil, enslaved Africans who fled captivity and the abjection of slavery found themselves in communities called Quilombo. They joined indigenous peoples and Europeans abolitionists allies to form free republics whose goal was never to experience servitude again.”

Rooted in the belief that true strength lies in embracing and celebrating our differences, this work bridges the dances and traditions of Indigenous and Afro-descended ancestors with contemporary interpretations. It reflects the evolution of culture while honoring the collective spirit that connects us all, offering a profound reflection on the beauty of diversity and transformation.

An embodiment of this concept is samba, a dance and music form deeply rooted in the intercultural relationship between enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples. Samba originated as a powerful expression of resilience and joy, blending rhythms, dances, and traditions from these communities. Over generations, this fusion blossomed into the grand celebration of Brazilian Carnaval—the world’s largest cultural showcase. While the tradition of Carnaval itself was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese colonizers, it evolved into something uniquely Brazilian, incorporating the powerful Rhythm and Dance of Samba. Today, Carnaval reflects the spirit of freedom, unity, and cultural pride, an enduring legacy of the Quilombos and Brazil’s rich, interconnected history.

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Free Movement & Rhythm Workshop

Saturday, April 26 from 1-1:45pm

Join us for a vibrant and immersive 45-minute workshop that invites participants to embody the spirit of The Quilombo Experience through three essential Brazilian tradition forms: Capoeira, Samba de Roda, Samba Reggae.

Rooted in the cultural legacy of Brazil’s Quilombos, this workshop offers a journey through rhythm, resistance, and celebration. Participants will be guided through the unique movement language and energy of each style, beginning with an introduction to the rhythm, learning foundational steps, and culminating in a joyful, communal exploration of expression and freedom.

Open to all levels and backgrounds, this session is about connecting to the heartbeat of culture—through the body, the music, and the collective joy of dance.

No experience required. Come ready to move, learn, and celebrate together!

Doris Duke Theatre Opening Program

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 | Doris Duke Theatre

Join us in celebrating the opening of the new Doris Duke Theatre, a living lab built to provide a space for cutting-edge artists to combine dance and creative technologies into unforgettable works. 

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Schedule of Events

1 – 4pm: Explore the Dancing the Algorithm Exhibit in the Doris Duke Theatre Gallery
Curated by Katherine Helen Fisher, this exhibit features artists whose works illuminate how the dancing body doesn’t just adapt to technology, but shapes it, challenges it, and celebrates the new possibilities it creates.

7pm: Historic Ribbon-Cutting Celebration
A historic ribbon-cutting on the veranda to open the new theater, which is free and open to the public.

8pm: Inaugural Program in the Doris Duke Theatre
The inaugural program in the Doris Duke Theatre will unite the past, present, and future with a thrilling performance by celebrated artists. Following an honor song performed by Shawn L. Stevens and Friends of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans from Bowler, Wisconsin, the program will feature:

• A movement score by Annie-B Parson, performed by 12 renowned artists associated with the original Doris Duke Theatre: Bebe Miller, Susan Marshall, Brian Brooks, Eiko Otake, Irene Rodríguez, David Thomson, Liz Lerman, David Dorfman, Dianne McIntyre, Dormeshia, Doug Elkins, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar.
• An excerpt performed by Shamel Pitts | TRIBE of the evening-length Touch of RED, a work developed during the last Pillow Lab residency held in the original Duke before it burned in 2020.
• The U.S. premiere of an excerpt of OTMO Live, a groundbreaking duet by the U.K.’s Alexander Whitley Dance Company, where motion-capture technology connects a dancer in the Doris Duke Theatre with a dancer in the Ted Shawn Theatre—performing together in real time, even while apart.
• An excerpt from the film Superradiance by Memo Akten and Katie Peyton Hofstadter, which interweaves dance, poetry, music, and AI generative imagery.
• A performance by body percussionist and Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Johnson, Artistic Director of SOLE Defined.
• The program will culminate in a dance party featuring iconic musician JD Samson, best known as a member of the bands Le Tigre and MEN, performing two DJ sets. The dance party will be animated by Scuuulpt, an interactive augmented reality piece by Katherine Helen Fisher and Armon Naeini that employs immersive camera work and dynamic projections to engage with performers and audience alike.

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Two Ways to Join the Magic

Livestream and On-Campus Watch Party

We invite you to join the excitement of the inaugural program, performed for an invited audience in the Doris Duke Theatre, from wherever you are—whether its on campus in the Berkshires, or from the comfort of your home!

• The program will be offered in real-time to audiences around the world as a livestream, free and open to anyone, anywhere. Register for the livestream here.
• Join us on-campus for a special watch party in the Ted Shawn Theatre, where ticket holders can enjoy a live screening of the opening program. Buy tickets here.

Unwired Dance Theatre

Saturday, July 12, beginning at 10:30am | Doris Duke Theatre

What if you could hear other people’s inner thoughts?

Where We Meet is an interactive and immersive dance performance where audiences can experience the inner thoughts of each character. It is an invitation to rediscover the joy of human connection, as an antidote to today’s increasingly digital—yet divided and lonely—world.

Audiences explore the space—as either a seated, compassionate observer, or an active, immersive explorer—wearing interactive headphones which track their movement and give the gift of telepathy. As they approach the characters, their inner worlds are revealed through a combination of spatial audio and choreography, triggering uniquely intimate and confessional moments in real time.

Alongside ample and varied opportunities for opt-in audience interaction, Where We Meet empowers audiences to forge genuine connections with others people through playful discovery.

Performances of Where We Meet are ticketed in advance for a limited-size audience, and will run at 10:30am, 12:15pm, 1:00pm, 1:45pm, and 2:30pm. Both seating and standing options will be available at this event.

We have various access provisions available, including compatibility with hearing aids and captions. Please see access information here.

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Program Information

Co-director & Creative Technology Lead
Clemence Debaig

Co-director & Choreographer
Livia Massarelli

Dancers
Sara Augieras, Livia Massarelli, Ryan Naiken

Music Composer
Christina Karpodini

Writer
Emma Nuttall

Voice Artists
Caterina Grosoli, Lisa Ronkowski, Iain Ferrier, Zoë Trassl

Creative Technologists
Branden Faulls (2024), Mikey Damager (2025)

Sound Engineers
Vas Papageorgakopoulos, Hilltops Recording

Production Partner
OmBeond

Other Collaborators
Noëlle Lahaye, Steph Clarke, Samuel Lepoil, Julie Rollin-Mousteou, Hilltops Recording, Rob Hall, Clarice Hilton, Jané Mackenzie

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Eiko Otake

Thursday, July 10 – Friday, July 11 | Doris Duke Theatre Grounds

Interdisciplinary artist Eiko Otake will give a world-premiere site-specific performance, titled Shadows and Stones, which will take audiences around the site of the new Doris Duke Theatre, grounding us in all that came before. Tickets are $45, and are now available. Arrive at the Jameson Family Lobby of the Doris Duke Theatre 30 minutes in advance of the performance to enjoy a free Pre-Show Talk about the artist’s work.

Eiko Otake came to the Pillow with her partner Koma for the first time in 1993, soon after the original Doris Duke Theatre was built. She has returned many times since, including in 2017 when she created a solo, A Body at the Pillow, that took audiences across the campus, from boulder to boulder. In 2020, a month after the original Duke burned to the ground, Eiko returned to crawl in the snow over the fallen beams to create the short film rock is broken (2021). Her body holds over three decades of Pillow history on the site, and her performance will evoke the power of memory and resilience.

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Program Information

Created and performed by Eiko Otake

Videos edited by Eiko Otake

Photos by William Johnston and Ed Harvey, courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow Archives

Special thanks to the late Sam Miller, Jacob’s Pillow’s Executive & Artistic Director Pamela Tatge, and every staff member of Jacob’s Pillow. Thank you to Allison Hsu and Alexander Farrell for supporting this piece.

HopeBoykinDance

Saturday, August 23 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Pillow Debut

Jacob’s Pillow is honored to present two-time Bessie Award-winning choreographer, writer, director, and filmmaker Hope Boykin in her highly anticipated Pillow debut, with HopeBoykinDance. An acclaimed former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, PHILADANCO!, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Boykin brings a compelling collaboration of contemporary-modern movement, spoken word, and storytelling to the stage.

Known for her deeply expressive movement-language, Boykin has most recently created new works for Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has presented HopeBoykinDance at The Joyce Theater, 92NY, and The Kennedy Center, where she reimagined Jacqueline Woodson’s The Other Side and choreographed the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS. Her deep history as a 20-year Ailey company member and commissioned choreographer complements the week-long run of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the Ted Shawn Theatre.

New York Theatre Ballet

Thursday, August 14 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Live Music

New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) returns to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time since 2016, celebrating their 46th season now under the direction of Steven Melendez, with a compelling repertoire featuring live music. The company presents works by a wide variety of choreographers and composers, performing small classic masterpieces and new contemporary works for adults and young children alike. Their engagement at Jacob’s Pillow will be a mixed program that will include Gabrielle Lamb’s Minetta Creek (a 2023 NYTB commission of new music and dance), Antony Tudor’s Trio Con Brio (a revival of a piece premiered at Jacob’s Pillow in 1952 and later rebuilt from archival film), and additional works.

Founded in 1978, New York Theatre Ballet has featured cutting-edge programming and an ever-expanding repertory. Carrying the modern sensibilities of both established and up-and-coming choreographers, the company has brought fresh insight to classic revivals, exploring the past while boldly taking risks on the future. The company tours nationally and abroad, and has become one of the most widely seen chamber ballet companies in the United States.

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. 

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

Support for Community Day at Jacob’s Pillow is provided in part by Highland Street Foundation.

Indigenous Enterprise

Thursday, July 10 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Live Music

Indigenous Enterprise, a premier group of champion powwow dancers and cultural ambassadors, has brought the beauty and power of Indigenous traditions to audiences since 2015. Known for their dynamic performances blending dance, film, and fashion, the group has captivated audiences worldwide, with appearances at the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center. In 2022, they were featured in promotion by the NBA Phoenix Suns, which drew attention to all 22 Native tribes in Arizona. In February 2023, they became the first Indigenous dance troupe to perform at the Super Bowl.

Representing a diverse range of Native tribes and nations, Indigenous Enterprise showcases the vibrancy of the powwow way of life, with dancers and singers who embody cultural pride and excellence. Celebrated by outlets like Vogue and The New York Times, their innovative and inspiring performances continue to elevate and celebrate Indigenous culture, empowering audiences with every show.