It’s hard to believe some of the greatest dancers in the world can be found on stage each summer in a converted barn located down a narrow, two-lane road in the Berkshires.
And yet, for nearly a century, dancers from around the world and the fans who watch them have been flocking each summer to Jacob’s Pillow, which will hold its annual dance festival this year from June 26 through Aug. 25.
“We’re so excited about the 92nd season for so many reasons,” Jacob’s Pillow Director Pam Tatge said during a recent interview. “We have a number of remarkable pillow debuts.”
And right at the top of the list of remarkable dance companies performing for the first time at Jacob’s Pillow will be The Royal Ballet, the world-renowned London-based ballet company, which will present several different programs indoors and outdoors at The Pillow from July 3 to 7.
“They’ve never been to Jacob’s Pillow,” Tatge said. “It’s a remarkable week of programming.”
The Royal Ballet’s performances at Jacob’s Pillow will be the only ones in the U.S. this summer and will feature a world premiere by Wayne McGregor created especially for Jacob’s Pillow, as well as many other pieces performed by these outstanding dancers and live musicians.
Bringing new dance companies to the Pillow is important for many reasons, especially because Tatge wants “audiences to stay current on what dance makers are thinking and dreaming about.”
The Pillow also wants as many people as possible to see performances. That’s why live video of some of the performances will be streamed for free online this summer. “People can watch it in the comfort of their own home,” Tatge said.
The Royal Ballet will perform for the first time at Jacob’s Pillow on July 3. (Tristram Kenton via Jacob’s Pillow)Tristram Kenton
In addition, many of the one-night performances on the picturesque Henry J. Leir outdoor stage will allow audience members to choose how much they want to pay to attend. “All of the One Night Only performances are choose what you pay,” Tatge said. “We want to be as accessible as possible.”
The first week at the Pillow will feature several one-night outdoor performances, including one by Shawn L. Stevens (Red Eagle), a member of the Stockbridge Munsee band of Mohicans. Stevens and friends will perform on opening night, June 26.
That same week, Jacob’s Pillow’s summer season heats up with performances by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (June 26 – 30), performing for the first time at the Pillow since 2010. The all-male, New York City-based ballet company is famous for its humorous interpretations of classic ballets.
There’s also a Season Opening Gala on June 22 at Jacob’s Pillow, featuring members of the New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and several other performers.
The week after The Royal Ballet, ballet fans will be treated to another international dance company in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Ballet Du Grand Theatre De Geneve (July 10 – 14) from Switzerland will return to the Pillow for the first time since 2011 with a wide-ranging program featuring several contemporary works, including the U.S. debut of “Noetic,” a work created by the ballet company’s artistic director Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
That same week, three duets featuring the work of Merce Cunningham, Liz Gerring and Kyle Abraham will be performed July 12 on the Leir outdoor stage in a co-production by the Merce Cunningham Trust and Baryshnikov Arts.
The following week, the Social Tango Project (July 17 – 21) from Buenos Aires, Argentina, will make its Pillow debut with an interactive tango performance in the Ted Shawn Theatre, featuring live musicians.
“It’s an incredible group of dancers and musicians featuring some of the finest tango dancers in Argentina,” Tatge said. “It’s an immersive performance that features this cinematic projection on the back that really highlights the importance of tango and Argentinian culture, and how it’s been a through line through all sorts of political ups and downs.”
The groundbreaking, genre-defying, audience-favorite dance company MOMIX (July 24 – 28) returns to the Pillow for the first time since 2002 with a collection of some of their best-known works.
MOMIX was founded by former Pilobolus co-founder Moses Pendleton, who discussed his approach to creating new works last year in an interview prior to MOMIX’s performance at the UMass Fine Arts Center in Amherst.
“I take an environmental, psychological approach to creativity,” Pendleton said during the interview. “Put yourself in an interesting environment of light and cool air and beautiful forms. And just wait. Something will come.”
That same week, Dancers of Damelahamid (July 26 – 27) will make their Pillow debut on the outdoor Leir stage. The Indigenous masked dance company from the northwest coast of Canada’s British Columbia has a long, rich history.
“They’re a remarkable group from the westernmost part of British Columbia,” Tatge said.
Camille A. Brown & Dancers (July 31 – Aug. 4) will present the world premiere of “I AM” in the Ted Shawn Theatre. “I’m really excited about this new work,” Tatge said. The piece, created by the 2016 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award winner, will also feature music performed by live musicians.
David Dorfman Dance (Aug. 3 – 4) returns to the Pillow the same week to the outdoor Leir stage to perform “(A)Way Out of My Body” which also features live music.
The internationally-renowned modern dance company Parsons Dance (Aug. 7 – 11), founded by David Parsons, will perform several of their signature works in the Ted Shawn Theatre, including “Caught” and “Takedeme.”
Flamenco dance and music will be featured the following week when Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca (Aug. 14 – 18) return to the Pillow for the first time since 2001. The Spanish-based dance company will perform several pieces, including an excerpt of their newest work, “Searching for Goya,” about the 18th-century romantic Spanish painter Francisco de Goya.
The final week of the season features Dance Theatre of Harlem (Aug. 21 – 25) in the Ted Shawn Theatre. The renowned dance company will present several works, including pieces by William Forsythe and George Balanchine.
In addition to shows this summer, visitors to the Pillow can see the ongoing construction of the new Doris Duke Theatre, which burned down in November 2020. The new theatre should hopefully be completed in time for next summer’s festival season, according to Tatge.
“It’s going up so fast,” Tatge said.
Jacob’s Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival runs from June 26 through Aug. 25. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org or call 413-243-0745.
