The Art of Black Grace 3/5

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 15 minutes, the dancers will teach visitors 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 video captured during the event, and participants are not recorded. This is a ticketed performance with limited capacity; reservations must be made in advance. Black Grace has had three previous engagements at Jacob’s Pillow: in 2004, 2005, and 2022.