Summer Guide 2025: Jacob’s Pillow Festival celebrates past, present and future of dance

BECKET — The past, present and future of dance will be on full display this summer at the 93rd annual Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, which runs from June 25 to August 24 in Becket.

Best of all, this year’s lineup of dance companies from around the world will have another stage to feature their works, thanks to the opening of the new Doris Duke Theatre.

“This year, we are honored to present company artists… who have deep professional and cultural roots with Jacob’s Pillow, as well as exciting companies whose histories with us are just beginning,” Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge said in a recent statement.

The new Doris Duke Theatre will officially open with a star-studded theatre opening program on July 9. The new state-of-the-art theater will replace the former Doris Duke Theatre, which was destroyed in a fire on Nov. 17, 2020.

The old, 8,500-square-foot Doris Duke Theatre was a great place to see new, up-and-coming dance companies from around the world. That commitment to choreographers pushing the boundaries of dance forward will remain the same in the new, 20,000-square-foot Doris Duke Theatre.

“I am excited to see how artists and audiences join together and move beyond the limits of a traditional performance venue,” Tatge said in a recent statement.

Many of the dance companies performing this summer in the Doris Duke Theater come from around the world, including Germany (Andrew Schneider, July 16-20), Norway (Elle Sofe Company, July 23-27), South Korea (Eun-Me Ahn, July 30 – Aug. 3) and Taiwan (Huang Yi, Aug. 20 – 24).

The Doris Duke Theatre will also feature two US-based dance companies: Shamel Pitts | Tribe (Aug. 6 – 10) and Faye Driscoll (Aug. 13 – 17).

There also will be a full slate of outdoor performances throughout the summer on the picturesque Henry J. Leir Stage, nestled in the woods. Many of these outdoor performances allow audience members to choose how much they want to pay to attend. Most performances on the Henry J. Leir Stage begin at 5:30 pm.

Many of the performances this summer can also be streamed online for free. “As Jacob’s Pillow looks toward the future of dance, we are dedicated to finding and building pathways to make dance more accessible,” Tatge said.

Meanwhile in the Ted Shawn Theatre, named after the legendary founder of Jacob’s Pillow, some of the world’s best-known dance companies – including Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – will perform, along with a wide range of dance groups performing a dizzying array of dance styles, from tap to ballet, Irish step dancing to hip hop and Indigenous dancing.

Jacob’s Pillow’s summer season kicks off with The Center Will Not Hold: A Dorrance Dance Production (June 25 – 29) in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Created by world-renowned tap dancers Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie, the evening-length performance mixes together a wide range of dance styles, including tap dancing, hip hop, house and body percussion.

That same week will feature three outdoor performances: Indonesia’s animal-inspired Prehistoric Body Theater (June 25-26), West African-inspired Djapo: Marie Basse-Wiles and Omari Wiles (June 27) and The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble (June 28).

The next week features the return of the Los Angeles-based modern dance company BODYTRAFFIC (July 2 – 6) in the Ted Shawn Theatre. The performances will feature works created by Trey McIntyre, Juel D. Lane and Matthew Neenan.

Outdoor performances the same week include Almanac Dance Circus Theatre (July 2), Lindy Hop virtuoso Gaby Cook in New York Swings (July 3) and KanKouran West African Dance Company (July 4 – 5).

The same week as the grand opening celebration for the new Doris Duke Theatre, the Ted Shawn Theatre will host Trinity Irish Dance Company (July 10 – 13) in a program that will celebrate the dance company’s 35th anniversary.

Three outdoor performances will be presented the same week on the Henry J. Leir Stage: championship powwow dancing performed by Indigenous Enterprise (July 10), Calpulli Mexican Dance Company (July 11) and the Pillow debut of Sydnie L. Mosley Dances (July 12).

The Sarasota Ballet (July 16 – 20) returns to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time in a decade with a program in the Ted Shawn Theatre featuring a work by Frederick Ashton and a world premiere by artist in residence Jessica Lang.

Four outdoor performances the same week will feature Pillow favorites Brother(hood) Dance! (July 16), the Pillow debut of Vincent E. Thomas’ VTDance (July 17), the Chicago-based Afro-Contemporary ensemble Red Clay Dance Company (July 18) and The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Performance Ensemble (July 19).

The final performances of the Stephen Petronio Company (July 23 – 27) will be presented in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the company will perform some of its signature works.

Outdoor performances the same week include Cambodian classical dance group Angkor Dance Troupe (July 23), tap dancer and theater maker Orlando Hernandez (July 24), Asian American dance company H.T. Chen & Dancers (July25) and New York-based, Puerto Rican-inspired dance group BOCA TUYA (July 26).

Sekou McMiller & Friends (July 30 – Aug. 3) make their Ted Shawn Theatre debut with the world premiere of “Urban Love Suite,” a rhythm-packed celebration of Afro-Latin Jazz and Soul that blends African American, Afro-Latin and West African dance traditions.

Outdoor performances that same week include Taiwan’s Bulareyaung Dance Company (July 30 – 31), the West African-inspired, Afro-Caribbean movement Kara Jenelle & KaJe Movement Collective (Aug 1) and Hawaiian dance company Pua Ali’i ‘Ilima o Nuioka (Aug. 2).

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (Aug. 6 – 10) returns for the first time since 2012 with a powerful program featuring three signature works: “Continuous Replay,” “D-Man in the Waters” and a site-based version of “Story/Time” with new stories and live music.

Performances the same week on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage include American College Dance Association (Aug. 6), Ice Theatre of New York (Aug. 7) performing in ice skates atop special flooring and tap virtuoso Michela Marino Lerman (Aug. 8 – 9).

Canada’s Ballet BC (Aug. 13 – 17) returns with a program that combines innovation and physicality with exquisite ballet technique. The program will feature the U.S. premieres of “BOLERO X” and “Obsidian” as well as a performance of “SWAY” by the company’s Artistic Director Medhi Walerski.

Performances the same week on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage include the Peking opera-influenced Benjamin Akio Kimitch (Aug. 13), New York Theatre Ballet (Aug. 14), the always-popular Community Day featuring Artists of the Berkshires (Aug. 15) and The School at Jacob’s Pillow Tap Dance Performance Ensemble (Aug. 16).

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Aug. 20 – 24) returns for the final week of summer with its full dance company for the first time in 62 years. They will present a program featuring beloved classics like “Revelations” as well as newer works, including Amy Hall Garner’s “CENTURY” (2023) and Lar Lubovitch’s “Many Angels” (2024).

The final week at the Pillow also features three performances on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage by groups or dancers with an Alvin Ailey connection – former Alvin Ailey principal dancer Yusha-Marie Sorzano (Aug. 20), Matthew Rushing and Ailey Extension dancers in a performance of Matthew Rushing’s Sacred Songs (Aug. 21 – 22) and choreographer and former Ailey company member Hope Boykin will make her Pillow debut with HopeBoykinDance (Aug. 23).

Jacob’s Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival runs from June 25 to August 24. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org or call 413-243-0745.

This post was originally published on this site