Jacob's Pillow Celebrates Mark Morris Dance Group 8/24-28

American dance master Mark Morris returns to Jacob's Pillow to celebrate his company's 30th anniversary with a seven performance engagement August 24-28. Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) performs Resurrection, danced to Richard Rodgers' "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"; the famous solo Ten Suggestions; Dancing Honeymoon, set to a medley of tunes from the 1920s and 30s; and the 2002 work V, called "one of the few great works that modern dance has produced in a decade" by Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times. MMDG is committed to performing with live music; the MMDG Music Ensemble (including four Fellows from the Tanglewood Music Center) will accompany this engagement.

"Heart and brain keep meeting in the work of the choreographer Mark Morris, but each time with new results," states Alastair Macaulay, chief dance critic of The New York Times. "Sometimes they marry in an irresistible outpouring whose meanings and structure reward further viewings. Sometimes they fuse in extraordinary dramatic poems buoyed by an underlying dance current. In either case we recognize him as one of the dazzling artists of our day."

Other Events: This engagement also marks the final week of Annie Leibovitz: Dance, an exclusive photography exhibit that has been open to the public throughout Festival 2011. Mounted in honor of MMDG's 30th anniversary, the exhibit features a special section of photographs of Mark Morris, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and other artists of the White Oak Dance Project. A free PillowTalk titled Mark Morris on Annie Leibovitz will be held on Thursday, August 25 at 5pm. Morris will discuss his personal and professional relationship with Leibovitz during the hour-long talk.

Pre-Show Talks by Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered 30 minutes before every performance. On Thursday, August 25, members of the company will participate in a Post-Show Talk following the 8pm performance.

When: Performances: August 24 through 28: Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm

Tickets: $64.50-69.50. On sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745 or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office.

Location: Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, 358 George Carter Road, Becket, MA

About: Jacob's Pillow, celebrating its 79th anniversary in 2011, is a National Historic Landmark and home to America's longest running international dance festival. The Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 300 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, 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 Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various departments of arts administration and production. 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. Jacob's Pillow is the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award.

To post a comment, you must register and login.