Festival 2026
Jun 24 – Aug 30
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What's On This Summer
Jun 24 – Aug 30 in the Berkshires
Keep scrolling to explore a variety of Festival offerings including performances, classes & workshops, exhibits & Archives, special events, online offerings, dining options, and more.
Or, select a Festival week above to explore happenings by date.
In the Ted Shawn Theatre
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Called “one of the most exciting, innovative, and delightful dance companies” by The New York Times, Paul Taylor Dance Company will return to Jacob’s Pillow this summer for the first time in seven years to perform a mixed program in the Ted Shawn Theatre that will include "Esplanade" (1975), "Brandenburgs" (1988), and "Company B" (1991).
Info & Tickets
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, a dance-driven musical set that tells the story of two people making their way during the Great Migration.
Info & Tickets
Akram Khan Company: Thikra: Night of Remembering
Returning to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time in over 20 years, Akram Khan will present "Thikra: Night of Remembering," a journey through tradition, deeply rooted in the power of rituals.
Info & Tickets
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham: White Space
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham will return to the Ted Shawn Theatre with the U.S. premiere of "White Space," a work that creates a charged atmosphere of collision and dialogue between reality and idealism.
Info & Tickets
Circa Contemporary Circus: Wolf
Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Circa will return to Jacob’s Pillow after six years away with "Wolf," a gasp-inducing acrobatic thrill ride.
Info & Tickets
Gauthier Dance
Returning to Jacob’s Pillow by popular demand, Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart will bring "The FireWorks Project," a program showcasing nine U.S. premiere works by leading choreographers.
Info & Tickets
San Francisco Ballet (Indoor)
In an exciting two-stage engagement, San Francisco Ballet comes to the Pillow for the first time since 1956 to perform a mixed program featuring works by Hans van Manen (Grosse Fugue), William Forsythe (Prologue from Blake Works), William Forsythe (Prologue and The Barre Project), and Tamara Rojo (Raymonda), among other works.
Info & Tickets
Martha Graham Dance Company
The oldest dance company in the United States, Martha Graham Dance Company returns during its centennial year with a program featuring some of Graham's most defining masterpieces and new works by today's choreographers.
Info & Tickets
Ballet Hispánico New York
A crowd favorite ever since their first Pillow performance in 1984, Ballet Hispánico New York returns, sure to delight dance fans seeking “smashingly theatrical" performances.
Info & Tickets
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Making an impressive 18th appearance at Jacob’s Pillow this summer, the beloved Hubbard Street Dance Chicago remains one of the most original forces in contemporary dance.
Info & Tickets
In the Doris Duke Theatre
Shamel Pitts | TRIBE: Touch of RED
Shamel Pitts and his company TRIBE present "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.
Info & Tickets
Ilya Vidrin: Proxies
Ilya Vidrin will make his Pillow debut with "Proxies," a rigorously imagined work at the interaction of dance and technology that explores what happens to human relationships when movements are translated into data.
Info & Tickets
Faye Driscoll: Weathering
Hailed as a "startingly original talent" by The New York Times, Faye Driscoll returns to the Pillow to present "Weathering," first developed in a Pillow Lab residency in 2022.
Info & Tickets
Brian Brooks Moving Company
In their return to Jacob’s Pillow, Brian Brooks Moving Company will present a mixed program including "Closing Distance" (2020), the world premiere of "Elsewhere," and a new work titled "Could we be Quiet?"
Info & Tickets
Ephrat Asherie Dance: Shadow Cities
In "Shadow Cities," Ephrat Asherie Dance has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer Arturo O’Farrill to reflect on the beauty, vastness, and joy of the in-between.
Info & Tickets
Brinae Ali: Baby Laurence Legacy Project
Tap dancer, choreographer, and vocalist Brinae Ali returns with "Baby Laurence Legacy Project," exploring and celebrating the artistic genius of "Baby" Laurence Donald Jackson, whose impact on tap dance and jazz music is legendary.
Info & Tickets
Huang Yi: Ink
Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi creates partnership between humans and robots in his Pillow debut of "Ink," in which lines from a hundred artworks by renowned calligrapher Tong Yang-Tze are dismantled and reconstructed.
Info & Tickets
On the Henry J. Leir Stage
Uppercut Dance Theater
In their U.S. debut, Denmark's Uppercut Dance Theater presents "BENCHED," a dynamic and brutally honest tale about life's big—and very small—questions.
Info & Tickets
The School at Jacob's Pillow: Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble
Presentations by The School at Jacob’s Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This event is the culmination of a two-week Contemporary Ballet Program, featuring original repertoire.
Info & Tickets
Compañía Nélida Tirado Flamenco
Hailed by The New York Times as “magnificent” and "utterly compelling," flamenco dancer Nélida Tirado is internationally recognized for her intensity, natural grace, and powerful style.
Info & Tickets
Eisenhower Dance Detroit
Considered one of the finest contemporary dance companies in the Midwest, Eisenhower Dance Detroit returns to the Pillow in its 35th season, presenting two works that explore moments of personal transformation.
Info & Tickets
Anubhava Dance Company
Based in Boston, Anubhava Dance Company is a Bharatanatyam ensemble that champions Indian classical dance as a living, evolving art form.
Info & Tickets
Acosia Red Elk
A world champion Jingle Dancer, Acosia Red Elk returns to perform an evening-length work featuring Native violinist Geneviève Gros-Louis.
Info & Tickets
Pua Ali'i 'Ilima
Pua Ali'i 'Ilima returns to the Henry J. Leir Stage for the first time since 2012. The mission of this hālau hula (school of Hawaiian culture) is to preserve and perpetuate Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions for future generations.
Info & Tickets
BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance
As part of Pillow Pride weekend, BAAD! will present 15-minute dance works by artists Abdiel, Imani Gaudin, and Edrimael Delgado Reyes, followed by a Q&A session.
Info & Tickets
Michela Marino Lerman: Steppin' with "The Kid"
Award-winning tap dancer Michela Marino Lerman leads an ensemble of tap dancers and musicians in "Steppin’ with "The Kid": A Celebration of Betty Carter," honoring iconic vocalist and one of Lerman's greatest inspirations, Betty Carter.
Info & Tickets
The School at Jacob's Pillow: Contemporary Performance Ensemble
Presentations by The School at Jacob’s Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This event is the culmination of a two-week Contemporary Program, featuring original repertoire.
Info & Tickets
Kalindá: Zafra
Kalindá is a professional live music and dance ensemble that performs bomba, Puerto Rico’s oldest musical tradition.
Info & Tickets
Ogemdi Ude: MAJOR
Brooklyn-based artist Ogemdi Ude makes her Pillow debut with "MAJOR," a dance theater piece that explores the world of majorette dance at HBCUs.
Info & Tickets
Benjamin Akio Kimitch: Tiger Hands
In Kimitch's "Tiger Hands," Peking opera technique becomes a channel for reconnection, transformation, and personal expression, drawing on the experimental energy that birthed this artform.
Info & Tickets
UFlyMothership
UFlyMothership is a collaborative musical and artistic project by dancer, singer, and songwriter Tendayi Kuumba and barber, visual artist, and music producer Greg Purnell.
Info & Tickets
KaJe Movement Collective: ÌYÁguration
"ÌYÁguration," a live performance and ceremonial work adapted from an original dance film, celebrates the resilience, joy, and sisterhood of Black women across the diaspora.
Info & Tickets
Art Omi: Dance | 20 Years of International Exchange
This special anniversary program from the Hudson Valley-based international arts center is titled "20 Years of International Exchange," and celebrates its global community of artists by reuniting alumni who first met in residence.
Info & Tickets
San Francisco Ballet (Outdoor)
In an exciting two-stage engagement, San Francisco Ballet comes to the Pillow for the first time since 1956 to perform a mixed program including works by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Marius Petipa, and Frederick Ashton, among others.
Info & Tickets
Sorzano Dance Works
A former Alvin Ailey principal dancer, Yusha-Marie Sorzano creates where lineages meet—where identity, migration, and memory move through the body as lived experience.
Info & Tickets
Artists of the Berkshires
The outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage hosts selected Berkshire-region artists for a special one-day-only performance on August 14, as part of Jacob’s Pillow’s annual Community Day.
Info & Tickets
HopeBoykinDance
HopeBoykinDance arrives for their highly anticipated Pillow debut, bringing a compelling collaboration of contemporary-modern movement, spoken word, and storytelling to the stage.
Info & Tickets
Kia the Key & Company
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Kia the Key & Company, a local dance company grounded in street and club dances bringing together dancers across race, nationality, and background to explore the complexity and beauty of Black social dance.
Info & Tickets
New York Theatre Ballet
New York Theatre Ballet returns to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time since 2016 with a mixed program, including a revival of a piece that premiered at Jacob’s Pillow in 1952.
Info & Tickets
The School at Jacob's Pillow: Musical Theatre Performance Ensemble
Presentations by The School at Jacob’s Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This event is the culmination of a three-week Musical Theatre Program, featuring original repertoire.
Info & Tickets
EXHIBITS & ARCHIVES
Dive into a collection of dance, past and present, in the Jacob's Pillow Archives.
Archives/Norton Owen Reading Room
Open Tuesday through Sunday, noon through final curtain during the Festival
Drop into a relaxed space to browse books, watch archival videos, explore historic programs and photographs, and find treasures from the Stephan Driscoll Collection in our newly added Special Collections Room. Come lose yourself in the world of dance.
Martha Graham: Call to Action
In tandem with Martha Graham Dance Company's performance run, this exhibit explores Graham's artistic and political voice during the 1930s, curated by former Graham dancer and scholar Oliver Tobin.
Illuminating the American Experience: Groundbreaking U.S. Women in Dance
This exhibit features women whose creative practice illuminates the American experience of their times and reveals new possibilities for the generations who follow.
Parable of Portals: The Acorn Archives
This artist installation by d. Sabela grimes and Meena Murugesan integrates dance, sound, video, sculpture, and emerging technologies.
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
Dance With Us
Move, learn, and connect through classes and workshops for all ages and experience levels.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Season Opening Gala
Known as the ultimate summer kickoff, this unforgettable evening brings together friends, artists, and supporters, for a night of conversation, connection, and a celebration that culminates in plenty of dancing.
Info & Tickets
VR Experience: Collective Body
For one week only in Sommers Studio, Jacob’s Pillow will host Collective Body, an interactive virtual reality experience that invites us to meet ourselves and each other through movement.
Info & Tickets
Pillow Pride Dance Party
Join us for a queer hustle dance lesson by Abdiel before dancing the night away at the Pillow Pride Dance Party in the Doris Duke Theatre.
Info & Tickets
FUTURE FIGURES: Dance and Emerging Technologies
With a free livestream, FUTURE FIGURES: Dance and Emerging Technologies is a symposium offering a series of conversations, performance/demonstrations and talks surrounding the use of new technology in dance.
Info & Tickets
Fire Pit Gathering at the Indigenous Garden
Gather for a Fire Pit activation in the Indigenous Garden with André StrongBearHeart Gaines Jr., engaging Eastern Woodlands traditions, community, and connection to land.
Info & Tickets
Curriculum in Motion™ Institute Public Presentations
Hear Curriculum in Motion™ Institute educators share how dance builds community and fosters creative dialogue across K-12 classrooms, medical providers, businesses, and civic and cultural organizations.
Info & Tickets
Public Flower Garden Tour
Join a free guided tour of the flower beds at Jacob’s Pillow, exploring the plantings, care practices, and stories that shape these vibrant spaces.
Info & Tickets
IN STUDIO OBSERVATION IN THE SCHOOL
Wednesdays through Fridays, 10:45am-12:15pm and 2:30-4pm
Quiet observation of classes and rehearsals inside the Perles Family Studio will be open on a first come, first served basis. In the case of inclement weather, School observation hours will not be held.
Pillow Pride Weekend
Join us July 11–12 for a a celebration of pride and the joy of moving together.
TALKS & TOURS
PillowTalk: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Saturday, July 4 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Akram Khan Dance Company
Saturday, July 11 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Kyle Abraham and Faye Driscoll
Saturday, July 18 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Liz Lerman with Suzanna Tamminen
Saturday, July 25 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Janet Eilber and Oliver Tobin
Saturday, August 15 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Perspectives on Latine Dance in the U.S. with Eduardo Vilaro, Nélida Tirado, and Luis Salgado
Saturday, August 22 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
PillowTalk: Dianne McIntyre and Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell
Saturday, August 29 at 4pm in Blake's Barn
JACOB'S PILLOW LIVE
Take part in the Festival wherever you are in the world with free livestreams throughout the summer, registration open now.
Livestream: The School at Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble
Saturday, June 27 at 5:30pm ET
Livestream: FUTURE FIGURES: Dance and Emerging Technologies
Thursday, July 9 at 10am ET
Livestream: The School at Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Performance Ensemble
Saturday, July 18 at 5:30pm ET
Livestream: Brian Brooks Moving Company
Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ET
Livestream: The School at Jacob's Pillow Musical Theatre Performance Ensemble
Saturday, August 22 at 5:30pm ET
SHAMEL PITTS TO RECEIVE THE 2026 JACOB'S PILLOW MEN DANCERS AWARD
Honoring the spirit of Jacob’s Pillow founder Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers, the award is a biennial honor recognizing visionary choreographers who create work for men dancers.
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
We’re committed to making every visit welcoming, accessible, and enjoyable
The Festival Returns For A Season of Connection
For Summer 2026, Jacob’s Pillow returns for a 10-week Festival celebrating its 94th year with a season that promises to connect us to each other and to our past, present and future.