MADBOOTS DANCE to Close Jacob's Pillow 2015 with BEAU. and (SAD BOYS) This Weekend

The all-male company MADBOOTS DANCE closes Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival 2015 with two powerful and poignant world premieres in the Doris Duke Theatre, August 26-30.

MADBOOTS DANCE will perform BEAU. and (SAD BOYS) choreographed by co-Artistic Directors Jonathan Campbell and Austin Diaz with lighting by Jennifer Reiser and musical accompaniment ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" to Liza Minnelli's "Try to Remember" and Baauer's "Harlem Shake," among many other selections. Both BEAU. and (SAD BOYS) were created during two separate Creative Development Residencies at the Pillow in 2014 and 2015.

MADBOOTS DANCE, noted for "their sharp, elegant movements, dark theatricality and unashamed intimacy" (Brian Schaefer, The New York Times), explores the multifaceted definition of masculinity in works that are highly physical, aggressive, and tender. By creating complex theatrical environments steeped in athleticism, and subtlety, Campbell and Diaz's work relishes opposing aesthetics and uncomfortable realities. As self-identifying "queer artists" themselves, the topic of masculinity is ever-present in Campbell and Diaz's choreography, but regardless of gender or sexuality, common aspects of humanity are integral underlying themes in their work.

BEAU. is an emotionally-charged duet choreographed and performed by Campbell and Diaz. Inspired by text on suicide, the pair explores both the delusion and loneliness of death with their signature explosive, athletic movement juxtaposed with contrasting moments of complex emotional weight. The duet is set to more than 10 excerpts from an array of songs, including "My Favorite Things" from the popular movie The Sound of Music, beatnik poet Allen Ginsberg's "Footnote to Howl", and various modern day hits by artists such as Flosstradamus & DJ Sliink, Crim3s, and the Microphones, among others.

(SAD BOYS), an ensemble work for five dancers, explores rage, projected emotion, otherness, love, and loss. This powerful work features both Diaz and Campbell with dancers Robbie Moore, Dan Walczak, and Chuck Wilt in a stirring blend of athleticism and grace. Like BEAU., the soundtrack for (SAD BOYS) also uses a range of music, including hits by Neil Young, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Crystal Castles, and more.

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTORS - "Both pieces bring up important dialogues about life, equality, and expectation. Our society often conditions men to suppress their emotions for fear of undermining their 'masculinity.' This kind of suppression can manifest into anger or a performative masculinity," said Campbell and Austin of their work and their personal experiences as gay men. "For the both of us, the pressure to be 'normal' and 'man up' was crushing... Shaking off these expectations was difficult, but eventually we were able to proudly own our 'otherness.'"

ABOUT MADBOOTS DANCE - Artistic directors Campbell and Diaz co-founded MADBOOTS DANCE in 2011 after meeting in Sidra Bell Dance New York. Although Campbell and Diaz's dance backgrounds differ, graduating from The Juilliard School and NYU Tisch School of the Arts respectively, "the two have a knack for unison... it's like they were cut from the same postmodern cloth-gesturing, slicing, and rolling through space as one" (Jenny Dalzell, Dance Magazine). In addition to performances at Jacob's Pillow, MADBOOTS DANCE has presented work nationally and internationally at the Duo Multicultural Arts Center, BAM Fisher Hillman, The 92nd Street Y, David Parker's Soaking WET Series, Tisch School of the Arts, TOES for dance (Canada), Alto Jonio Dance Festival (Italy), Dumbo Dance Festival Gala, Strand Center for the Arts, and Springboard Danse Montréal (Canada).

PILLOW CONNECTIONS - MADBOOTS DANCE debuted at the Pillow in 2013 as part of the Inside/Out performance series, and later returned to the Pillow for two Creative Development Residencies (CDR) in 2014 and 2015. The CDR Program provides choreographers the opportunity to create new work in the Pillow's retreat-like setting during the off-season months.

Members of MADBOOTS DANCE will teach a class for intermediate/advanced dancers on Sunday, August 30 at 10am in the Doris Duke Theatre. Sunday classes with Festival artists are $15 per person; all participants must be 16+ years old. Pre-registration opens Monday, August 24. Walk-ups will be accommodated as space permits; otherwise it is free to observe. For class information and to register, call the Community Dance Hotline, 413.243.9919 x5.

IF YOU GO:

MADBOOTS DANCE
Doris Duke Theatre
Wednesday, August 26 through Saturday, August 29 at 8:15pm
Saturday, August 29 and Sunday, August 30 at 2:15pm

· Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholar-in Maura Keefe are offered on the porch of the Doris Duke Theatre 30 minutes before every performance.

· A Post-Show Q&A with MADBOOTS DANCE Artistic Personnel will take place onstage on Thursday, August 27 with Scholar-in-Residence Maura Keefe.

· Tickets $25-$45, A limited number of $19 Under 35 Friday tickets are available for August 28; limit 2 per person, must be between the ages of 18 and 35.

· Box Office Hours: Sunday through Tuesday, 11am-5pm, Wednesday through Saturday 11am-8pm.

· Jacob's Pillow is located at 358 George Carter Road in Becket, MA, 01223 (10 minutes east on Route 20 from Mass Pike Exit 2). The Jacob's Pillow campus and theaters are handicapped-accessible.

RELEATED EVENTS:

FESTIVAL FINALE

Saturday, August 29, 8pm / 8:15pm

Celebrate the close of Festival 2015 with the summer's best dance party. Festival Finale tickets include a performance by Martha Graham Dance Company or MADBOOTS DANCE, plus access to the amazing after-party with drinks, desserts, dancing, and DJ BFG spinning live. Tickets $50-150, available at jacobspillow.org or via phone 413.243.0745.

Jacob's Pillow, celebrating its 83rd Festival in 2015, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest-running international dance festival. Each Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. The School at Jacob's Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than a century of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and an extensive schedule of free public events. Through Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion, a nationally-recognized program, Artist Educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award all support visionary dance artists and choreographers. Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive is a curated online video collection of dance highlights from 1936 to today. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob's Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, making the Pillow the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award. For more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org.