Limón Dance Company

Available On Demand | January 9-February 19

Limón Dance Company was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022.

Celebrated as one of the world’s greatest modern dance groups, the Limón Dance Company marked its 75th anniversary in 2022.

Founded in 1946, Limón Dance Company is a thriving legacy of José Limón and his mentors Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, whose innovative works revolutionized dance in America with their dramatic expression, technical mastery, and expansive yet nuanced movement. The celebratory program featured a new work by choreographer/dancer/musician Olivier Taparga, originally from Burkina Faso, commissioned by the Pillow for the 90th Anniversary thanks to the Joan B. Hunter New Work Commission.

Black Grace

Available On Demand | February 6-March 19

Black Grace was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022.

Dedicated to the rich storytelling traditions of the South Pacific, New Zealand-based Black Grace masterfully blends contemporary and Samoan dance genres, expressing them with “phenomenal strength, stamina and spirit” (The New Zealand Herald). The company has been praised as “the most positive, living expression of any New Zealand art” (Sunday Star Times).

Founded by Neil Ieremia in 1995, the company masterfully blends contemporary and indigenous Samoan dance genres with a body of work “that crosses geographic and social boundaries, often with innovative flair and theatricality” (The Boston Globe). New York Times critic Brian Seibert said, “the dancers break into motion, and once they start, they barely ever stop. The distinguishing spirit of this troupe is incredible speed and stamina, an exhilarating, seemingly inexhaustible energy.”

This program included O Le Olaga – Life, a tribute to Ieremia’s parents and a celebration of life set to Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, as well as Fatu, a new work inspired by the work of Samoan painter and sculptor Fatu Akelei Feu’u and set to an original soundtrack both live and recorded. The company also reprised Minoi, a high-energy virtuosic work featured in their first Pillow performance.

SW!NG OUT

Available On Demand | December 5-January 15

SW!NG OUT was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022.

Fans of acclaimed choreographer Caleb Teicher and last summer’s rollicking outdoor show LaTasha Barnes Presents The Jazz Continuum take note: Teicher brought the best of the swing dance world to Jacob’s Pillow with SW!NG OUT, with live music by Eyal Vilner Big Band. Featuring a cast of 22 performers, including 12 dancers and 10 on the bandstand, Teicher conceived of this piece alongside their brain trust of collaborators: Evita Arce, LaTasha Barnes, Nathan Bugh, Macy Sullivan, and Eyal Vilner.

Called “a sweeping ride through contemporary swing dance” by The New York Times during its premiere run at The Joyce Theater last fall, SW!NG OUT featured exciting Lindy Hop choreography and improvisation, and ended with an on-stage jam session for performers and audience members. The New York Times ‘Best of 2021’ mentioned SW!NG OUT as “…the contemporary swing-dance show that… gave me the most joy of any dance production in 2021.” (Critic’s Pick)

Leadership support for Pillow performances of SW!NG OUT was provided by Gerry and Hank Alpert.

Encore: Dorrance Dance Plays the Pillow

Available On Demand | November 7-December 18

Dorrance Dance Plays the Pillow was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2021.

In a site-specific world premiere, tap dance company Dorrance Dance explores the unique and enchanting environment of the Pillow grounds. These special daytime performances will take audiences on a roving journey that showcases the Pillow’s campus in a never-before-seen (nor-heard) way.  

Commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow with leadership support from Gerry and Hank Alpert.

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Explore Past Pillow Performances on Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive:

• Dorrance Dance in All Good Things Come to an End in 2018
• Dorrance Dance in ETM: Double Down in 2016
• Dorrance Dance in The Blues Project in 2015
• Dorrance Dance in ETM: The Initial Approach in 2014

Dichotomous Being: An Evening of Taylor Stanley

Dichotomous Being: An Evening of Taylor Stanley was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022.

Already a celebrated principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Taylor Stanley pursued new movement frontiers for this program alongside special guest artists with Kyle Abraham as the Creative Producer. During two 2021 Pillow Labs, Stanley developed a Pillow-commissioned ensemble work by postmodern choreographer Jodi Melnick and a solo by choreographer Shamel Pitts. They also performed an adaptation of Andrea Miller’s sky to hold, originally created for the New York City Ballet’s 2021 Fall Gala, and Talley Beatty’s renowned Mourner’s Bench, a solo of great significance to the Pillow, having been danced here by Beatty himself. Stanley and their collaborators returned to the Pillow Lab again in March this year, ahead of the Festival performances.

Dance Heginbotham

Available On Demand | April 3-May 14

Dance Heginbotham was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2022.

Celebrated for its vibrant athleticism, humor, theatricality, and commitment to collaboration, Dance Heginbotham, led by Artistic Director John Heginbotham, celebrated its 10th Anniversary having established itself as one of the most adventurous companies on the contemporary dance scene. Praised by The New York Times as having “a true theater artist’s instinct for commanding his audience,” Heginbotham is known for striking choreography that is perceptive, bright, and witty. A past recipient of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award, he is most recently acclaimed for his choreography in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

The company performed an evening of work in collaboration with Ethan Iverson, the critically acclaimed jazz composer, pianist, and Blue Note Records recording artist. The program featured three works: a revival and two world premieres. Easy Win (2015) draws inspiration from the collaborators’ shared experiences within a formal ballet class. A delightful ode to the repetition, drama, and humor of a dance class, Easy Win dissects its rituals with equal amounts of humor and sincerity through dancers that are “keenly alive to the main pulses of Mr. Iverson’s music” (The New York Times). The world premiere of The Understudies performed by John Heginbotham and Amber Star Merkens. Finally, Dance Sonata, the program’s second world premiere, picked up where Easy Win left off. If Easy Win highlighted the rigors and training in the context of a ballet class, Dance Sonata was the finale for which the performers have been preparing.

Encore: Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Available On Demand | May 8-June 18

Dallas Black Dance Theatre was filmed live during Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2021.

Founded in 1976 by Ann M. Williams and currently led by Artistic Director Melissa M. Young, Dallas Black Dance Theatre has captivated audiences in the Dallas Arts District and nationwide for over 45 years with contemporary modern dance by the nation’s leading choreographers. In a highly-anticipated Jacob’s Pillow debut, Dallas Black Dance Theatre performs a Pillow-commissioned world premiere by sought-after choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, celebrated for his work with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Pillow-commissioned work for DBDT is made possible by the Joan B. Hunter New Work Commission.

Curriculum in Motion™ Institute Public Presentations

Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 from 10:30am-12:30pm | Free
Jameson Family Lobby, Doris Duke Theatre

In this public gathering, the 2025-25 Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion™ Institute participants will share inspiring stories of how dance fosters community building and creative dialogue. Visitors will hear how Curriculum in Motion™ Institute dance educators use dance to explore questions, challenges, and themes in partnership with K-12 classrooms, museums, after-school programs, medical providers, businesses, and civic and cultural organizations in Berkshire County and beyond. These projects demonstrate the power of dance-making as a tool for connection, reflection, and change. A Q&A will follow each presentation. Please join us for one or both events, as different artists will present each session. Registration will open later this spring.

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About the Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion™ Institute

The Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum in Motion™ Institute is a 10-month professional development opportunity for choreographers and dance teaching artists looking to strengthen their choreographic skills with a community building focus. Participants work with community partners to investigate how dance can be used to honor a community’s questions and needs. This “dance-makers’ think tank” is facilitated by core faculty: Celeste Miller (Institute Director), Kimberli Boyd, and Michael Richter.

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. 

    

This performance took place on July 1–2, 2022. Scroll for more information.

Featuring Mary Lattimore’s Solace of Surrender, performed by duo LEYA.

Two award-winning artists working together for the first time—choreographer Loni Landon and experimental harpist Mary Lattimore—brought to the Pillow’s outdoor stage a work originally created for the expansive Green-Wood historic cemetery in Brooklyn. Intrigued by the notion that cemeteries can act both as spaces for mourning and social engagement, Lattimore and Landon’s collaboration explored themes of rebirth and renewal amid loss.

The artists created an experience that was restorative and recharging. Each performance included  music developed by Lattimore’s harp, performed by harpist LEYA with new movement choreographed by Landon for seven up-and-coming dancers. To underscore the correlation between sound and healing, the pair concluded by engaging audience members in a meditative sound bath.

The New Yorker recently described Lattimore’s harp playing as “seismic emotion,” and The New York Times calls Landon’s choreography “sophisticated” and “full of surprises.” This performance was sponsored by YoungArts.

Please Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lattimore was unable to take part in the live performance.

Explore Loni Landon Dance Project

Read the program and PillowNotes

Dive into Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive 

This ever-growing collection includes dance videos filmed at Jacob’s Pillow from the 1930s to today and new illustrated essays. Explore more on Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive.