Michela Marino Lerman

Friday and Saturday, August 8-9 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Pillow Debut | Live Music

Michela Marino Lerman is a tap dancer, choreographer, musician, and educator, celebrated for her dynamic performances and innovative approach to tap. Recognized by Downbeat Magazine as “jazz’s premier tap dancer,” her work explores the intersection of tap and jazz, elevating tap as both dance and music.

A lifetime honorary member of The Copasetics and recipient of the Hoofer Award, Marino Lerman has performed at iconic venues like the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Mentored by tap legends Gregory Hines, Buster Brown, and others, she has collaborated with jazz greats including Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, and Jon Batiste. As a teacher, Marino Lerman shares her expertise at universities and tap festivals worldwide, continuing to push the boundaries of tap dance in music. In 2021, she was featured on one in a set of five Commemorative Forever Stamps, issued by the U.S. Postal Service, celebrating tap dance as an American art form.

Calpulli Mexican Dance Company

Friday, July 11 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage

Back by popular demand, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company returns to the Leir Stage to celebrate their cultural legacy with folkloric storytelling, dynamic dance and music, and colorful costumes. Described by The New York Times as “a terrific company of generous dancers [that] give a vibrant tour of Mexican traditions,” Calpulli will present an excerpt from Monarcas—which celebrates the real life contributions and sacrifices by Mexican immigrants to and for the United States—and Viñedos, which honors laborers who became vineyard owners and proud makers of California wine.

Calpulli’s narrative-driven performances have captivated audiences across the United States and internationally, with debuts in Bahrain in 2013 and Turkey in 2019. Co-founded by Alberto Lopez Herrera and Juan Castaño, the company’s artistic vision is now led by Artistic Director Grisel Pren Monje, who continues to honor their rich cultural history through vibrant, passionate performances.

Following the performance, audiences are invited to a reception with light refreshments and bites, offering an opportunity to connect with the artists and learn more about Calpulli’s work and mission.

Bulareyaung Dance Company

Wednesday and Thursday, July 30-31 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Pillow Debut

Founded in Taiwan in 2015 by choreographer Bulareyaung Pagarlava, Bulareyaung Dance Company creates dance through a deep connection to nature and heritage. Training takes place in the mountains and by the waterside, where dancers sing old chants and develop movement rooted in their Indigenous culture.

The company’s works have earned critical acclaim, including the prestigious Taishin Arts Award. Through powerful performances, Bulareyaung Dance Company brings Indigenous stories to the stage with striking physicality and authenticity. The company has toured internationally, performing in Canada, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, and France. With each performance, they honor and celebrate the vibrancy of Indigenous culture while expanding the boundaries of contemporary dance.

Matthew Rushing’s Sacred Songs

Thursday and Friday, August 21-22 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage

Matthew Rushing joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a company member in 1992 and served as Interim Artistic Director from 2023 until this year. At Jacob’s Pillow, he and dancers from the Ailey Extension will present Sacred Songs, A Journey of the Spiritual, commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art on the occasion of their groundbreaking exhibition Edges of Ailey. The work resurrects the omitted songs from the original production of Revelations to speak to our present need for lament, faith, and joy.

Rushing is a YoungArts alum, the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award, and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He has performed in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia, and for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. He has choreographed for PHILADANCO! and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In his time with the Ailey company, Rushing has choreographed four ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009); ODETTA (2014); and Testament (2020), a collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano.

The Ailey Extension trains dancers through open classes taught by renowned instructors for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels from beginners to professionals. This two-night engagement complements the week-long run of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performances of Revelations in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Tickets to indoor performances are sold separately.

VTDance

Thursday, July 17 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Pillow Debut

Vincent E. Thomas’ VTDance brings a bold, multi-dimensional approach to contemporary performance, blending dance, text, improvisation, and collaboration across artistic disciplines. With a keen sense of athleticism, wit, and emotional depth, VTDance crafts works that engage both heart and mind.

Thomas, an acclaimed choreographer and performer, has presented his work at national and international venues from New York to Scotland, Spain, France, and beyond. At the Pillow this summer, audiences can experience his signature fusion of movement, music, and storytelling—where gesture becomes poetry and every performance invites connection. Beyond the stage, Thomas is an educator who is deeply engaged in community work, and leads talks, master classes, and workshops with his signature athleticism and wit.

Ice Theatre of New York

Thursday, August 7 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage 
Pillow Debut | World Premiere

Ice Theatre of New York is the first non-profit ice dance company in the nation, blending artistry and athleticism to elevate skating as a performing art. This one-night performance will allow Berkshire audiences a rare opportunity to enjoy ice skating in the summer, with dancers performing in skates atop a special flooring.

Founded in 1984 by Moira North, Ice Theatre of New York has presented over 125 original works from acclaimed skating, ballet, and modern dance choreographers. The company presents dozens of free public performances each season at iconic New York locations, including Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, and Central Park’s Wollman Rink. With a diverse ensemble of skaters and a commitment to innovation, Ice Theatre of New York is a unique gem of New York’s cultural scene, creating mesmerizing performances that merge dance, ice, and storytelling.

BOCA TUYA

Saturday, July 26 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Pillow Debut

BOCA TUYA is a New York-based movement collective rooted in the rhythms, storytelling traditions, and cultural heritage of Puerto Rico. Founded in 2018 by choreographer Omar Román de Jesús—a member of the inaugural Jacob’s Pillow Hicks Choreography Fellowship Program, Princess Grace choreography awardee, Dance Magazine Harkness Promise awardee, inaugural Baryshnikov Arts Center Fellow at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, and current resident at 92NY—the company crafts immersive dreamscapes that blend vibrant cadence, surrealist narratives, and unforgettable characters.

Through global tours, educational outreach, and choreographic commissions, BOCA TUYA empowers artists and cultivates authenticity, equity, and innovation with a distinct Boricua heartbeat, making work that is “full of sensual vulnerability; the effect is hypnotic.” (Fjord Review). Honoring traditions and the ancestors who came before, the company connects past and present, while championing the excellence of New York’s top contemporary dance artists.

Djapo: Marie Basse-Wiles and Omari Wiles

This event occurred on June 27, 2025.

Omari Wiles—a force in New York’s ballroom and dance scenes—joined his mother, Marie Basse-Wiles, a revered figure in African diasporic dance, for Djapo, a vibrant new work commissioned by Works & Process, that brought together their companies Les Ballet Afrik and Maimouna Keita School of African Dance.

Rooted in the rhythms of Senegal and Mali, this electrifying performance blended traditional West African dance with contemporary African club culture, Afrobeats, and live percussion, shaped through the duo’s intergenerational collaboration. Company dancers came together for an in-process performance of Djapo, exploring the evolution of movement, music, and community, celebrating the deep ties between past and present while amplifying the visibility of African cultural traditions in today’s global dance landscape.

Djapo’s development was supported by Works & Process LaunchPAD residencies at Bethany Arts Community, Watermill Center, Pocantico Center, and Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross. Music commission were made possible by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. Additional support was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

KanKouran West African Dance Company

Friday and Saturday, July 4-5 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage
Live Music

KanKouran, a beloved pillar of West African dance in Washington, D.C., returns to Jacob’s Pillow this summer after a thrilling Festival 2024 performance. Founded by Artistic Director Assane Konte and the late Abdou Kounta, the company brings together artists from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean to preserve and promote traditional West African culture.

For over 40 years, KanKouran has been a cornerstone for generations of dancers, students, and musicians, fostering a deep sense of community and artistic excellence. The company has performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and beyond. They now return to the Pillow for two nights to captivate audiences with their powerful rhythms, vibrant movement, and rich cultural heritage.

American College Dance Association

Wednesday, August 6 at 5:30pm | Henry J. Leir Stage

Jacob’s Pillow proudly hosts a night of performances by college and university dance programs from around the country, all selected from their American College Dance Association regional conference. Details on the selected ensembles will be announced in June.

The American College Dance Association (ACDA) supports and promotes a wealth of talent and creativity from college and university dance departments. Each spring, ACDA organizes eleven regional conferences at various member colleges and universities around the country, featuring performances, workshops, panels, and classes. These regional conferences provide the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and guest artists to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an anonymous and constructive setting. Adjudicators select works for the Gala Concert, a culminating event of the conference, and for the ACDA National College Dance Festival. Jacob’s Pillow will select work from the National College Dance Festival to present on the Leir Stage.