Shamel Pitts | TRIBE: Touch of RED
Dancer, artist, and choreographer Shamel Pitts creates provocative dance works that “push against the boundaries of identity” (Dance Magazine). His company TRIBE will perform Touch of RED, inspired by the rapid-fire footwork of boxing, the African American jazz dance style Lindy Hop, Gaga movement language, and nightlife culture. Set in a stylized ring, this dance duet examines the way Black men are perceived and perceive themselves in contemporary society.
This is a notable homecoming for Pitts and his company, whose Pillow Lab residency work on Touch of RED in November 2020 was disrupted when the original Doris Duke Theatre was lost to a fire. Since then, TRIBE premiered Touch of RED in a sold-out weekend in October 2022 at MASS MoCA, co-presented by Jacob’s Pillow. This will be the first time this remarkable duet is performed at the Festival.
About Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
Pitts is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, a 2024 Doris Duke Artist, and recently received a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship. He is the recipient of a 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Award in Choreography, and a 2024 Knight Choreography Prize. Pitts’s “BLACK series” has toured extensively worldwide since 2016.
Show Information
Expected run time
60 minutes, no intermission
Additional information
Jacob's Pillow debut
Content warnings
This performance contains the use of haze, fast flashing projection light, and loud volume at times
Page Anchor
Jacob's Pillow Men Dancers Award 2026: Shamel Pitts
This year, Jacob’s Pillow will present American dancer, artist, and choreographer Shamel Pitts with the Jacob’s Pillow Men Dancers Award, presented every two years to a choreographer of any gender who creates an innovative work danced by men dancers.
The award is intended to honor the spirit of Jacob’s Pillow founder Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers, and is given to choreographers of exceptional vision and achievement in this category.
Media Gallery
Talks
Pre-Show Talks
20 minutes before each performance
Gain insight into the performance you are about to see with a free 15-minute Pre-Show Talk. All Pre-Show Talks will be presented in the Doris Duke Theatre's Jameson Family Lobby.
Post-Show Talks
Immediately following the Thursday evening performance
Participate in a free question & answer session with the artists just after they step off stage. Ticket-holders are invited to stay immediately after the show in order to enjoy the Post-Show Talk.
Explore Content
Inside the Pillow Lab: Shamel Pitts | TRIBE
View a short film featuring inDANCE during their Pillow Lab residency in 2024.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Jacob's Pillow is located in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts in the town of Becket. The 225-acre National Historic Landmark is within easy driving distance of Boston, New York, Albany, Burlington, and Hartford.
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