Urban Bush Women: SCAT!
Returning to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time in seven years, the groundbreaking Black women-led theatrical dance company Urban Bush Women will perform SCAT! this summer. Set in a fictional jazz club, SCAT! is a dance-driven musical that tells a love story of two people making their way during the Great Migration through song, dance, and storytelling. Featuring an original jazz score performed live by seven musicians, this powerful tale of one family tells what happens when dreams encounter the realities of American life in the 1940s and ’50s.
About Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women is a groundbreaking Black women-led dance company and an engine for social change. Founded in 1984 by visionary choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, the company reshaped the field by placing Black women’s bodies, voices, and concerns at the center of the stage, expanding who is seen as a dancer and whose stories matter. For four decades, Urban Bush Women has embraced radical storytelling to achieve societal transformation, creating more than 40 pioneering works. Beyond performance, the company is a leader in mentorship and movement-based organizing, and has been recognized as both an American cultural treasure and a vital voice in global dance.
Show Information
Additional information
Live music, first appearance since 2019
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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 Sommerspace at Blake's Barn.
Post-Show Talks
Immediately following the Friday matinee 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.
Past Performances at Jacob's Pillow
Watch performance clips on Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive
PillowTalk: Legacy Unboxed
Watch the recording of this PillowTalk featuring Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women.
Black Dancers in the Berkshires
Read John Perpener's interactive essay, featuring Urban Bush Women
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.
Campus Accessibility
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