Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival to Present The Royal Ballet Takeover

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival will present one of the most celebrated and renowned companies in the world, The Royal Ballet of the United Kingdom, for a historic week-long takeover during Week 2 of this summer’s 92nd season.

The Royal Ballet’s first engagement in the United States since 2019 will be a five-day-only appearance at Jacob’s Pillow. The company’s debut at Jacob’s Pillow will run Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7, and will feature two different programs each day: one in the historic Ted Shawn Theatre, and another on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage. Limited tickets remain for these engagements. 

As part of Jacob’s Pillow Live—a new livestream series showcasing artists from this summer’s festival—the Saturday performance by The Royal Ballet will be livestreamed for free, thanks to major support from the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation. Livestream access will be available from 8-10pm Eastern on Saturday, July 6. Pre-registration for the livestream is encouraged at jacobspillow.org/live. This livestream will include access to a free “Encore” stream released the following week, allowing an additional 24 hours to watch the performance again on-demand.

Week 2 of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival will also feature a free PillowTalk with Director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, on Saturday, July 6, at which time O’Hare will discuss directing one of the world’s most famous companies and his desire to bring his dancers to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time. On Sunday, July 7, Jacob’s Pillow will also offer a public workshop led by Deirdre Chapman of The Royal Ballet that is centered on For Four—a work by the company’s Artistic Associate, Christopher Wheeldon—which will be presented as part of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire in the Ted Shawn Theatre. 

The presentation of The Royal Ballet at Jacob’s Pillow is made possible with lead underwriting support from Emily Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, in addition to major support from the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, Jeffrey Davis and Michael Miller, and other generous supporters. 

Off-site, Jacob’s Pillow is partnering with Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington for a one-night-only screening of Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words on Friday, July 5. Produced by former dancers and International Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, and shot on location in Hungary in 2019, this cinematic adaptation of Kenneth MacMillan’s searingly dramatic ballet masterpiece features dancers from The Royal Ballet. Tickets are $15 and are available at mahaiwe.org. 

“We are beyond excited to welcome The Royal Ballet for this immersive week-long takeover of our indoor and outdoor stages,” said Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director, Pamela Tatge. “This will be a rare opportunity to witness the brilliant dancers of The Royal Ballet perform classical works of the ballet cannon, alongside inventive contemporary works including a historic world premiere. Together with Director Kevin O’Hare, we are creating what will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for festival audiences, many of whom will be seeing the company for the first time. This has already become an unforgettable collaboration, and we are eager to welcome the world to the Pillow to see it.”

The Ted Shawn Theatre indoor program, which incorporates live music, will feature the U.S. Premiere of Secret Things by American choreographer Pam Tanowitz and a World Premiere by The Royal Ballet’s Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor, created especially for Jacob’s Pillow, alongside works by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, and Christopher Wheeldon. Royal Ballet Principals Matthew Ball, Sarah Lamb, Mayara Magri, Anna Rose O’Sullivan, and Marcelino Sambé will perform in this engagement along with a vibrant array of the company’s dancers. Principal dancer Natalia Osipova will perform on opening night (Wednesday, July 3).

The Henry J. Leir Stage outdoor program will feature a series of solos and duets from classical repertoire and works by Frederick Ashton, Wayne McGregor and Christopher Wheeldon. Principal dancer Natalia Osipova will perform on opening night (Wednesday, July 3). Other select Royal Ballet Principals to be announced will perform in this engagement along with a vibrant array of the company’s dancers.

On Saturday, July 6, The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Performance Ensemble will open the evening program beginning at 5:15pm. Ticket holders are invited to arrive early to enjoy this additional performance as part of their ticket purchase. 

Casting for each performance will be announced two weeks in advance. The full indoor and outdoor program by The Royal Ballet can be found at jacobspillow.org/festival. 

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