Jacob's Pillow Presents Camille A. Brown and Dancers 6/30-7/4

A dancer described as "a pixie-ish powerhouse with the determined air of a high priestess" (San Francisco Chronicle), Camille A. Brown brings her dynamic choreography to Jacob's Pillow, America's longest-running international dance festival, June 30-July 4. She and her personality-packed ensemble will perform a world premiere program including The Evolution of a Secured Feminine, with music by Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, and Nancy Wilson; excerpts from The Groove to Nobody's Business, which was commissioned and premiered by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 2007; Matchstick, featuring an original score performed live by composer Brandon McCune; and two Pillow co-commissions and world premieres created in part during a Pillow Creative Development Residency in the spring of 2010.

Gia Kourlas of The New York Times says "Ms. Brown, who possesses an impeccable sense of timing, creates sharp characterizations, as observed in The Evolution of a Secured Feminine." A solo for Brown, Evolution explores femininity through the scope of a character attempting to find equilibrium in the conflict between self-doubt and self-expression.

In Matchstick, a work set in 1915 (50 years after the Civil War and 50 years before the Civil Rights Movement), "Four men, dressed in period vests and trousers, take turns leaning over a table. Using their arms like weapons, they slice and pound on its surface before retreating to randomly placed chairs. Their frustration and anger are released in the form of explosive leaps" (Gia Kourlas, The New York Times). Theatrical gesturing and Brown's energetic choreography combine to create an image of the question facing black Americans over whether to stay in the hostile South or journey to the North. In addition to Brandon McCune's live performance of his original score for the work, Matchstick features text by Dana Gourrier, recited live by actor J. Michael Kinsey.

Girls Verse 1, the first of two world premieres on the program, was created in part during Brown's Creative Development Residency at the Pillow this past April and is a work for four women with music by contemporary pop/hip-hop artist M.I.A. The second world premiere, entitled Been There, Done That, is a duet for Brown and dancer Juel D. Lane set to music by Nancy Wilson and The New York Allstars, also created in part during Brown's Pillow Residency.

"Camille A. Brown celebrates the captive community of New York subway riders in her delicious Groove to Nobody's Business...a flowing series of vignettes about the city," says Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times. The dancers, as subway riders, meet, interact, ignore each other, and move on. The Groove to Nobody's Business was commissioned and premiered by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and praised as "both expressive and economical-no words needed."

Inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, New Second Line is a celebration of the resilient spirit and culture of New Orleans and its residents. The title comes from a name given to the people who follow a brass band parade, dancing energetically regardless of the occasion. New Second Line has been praised as using a "stop-and-go dynamic to continuously change the configurations of synchronized group movement to sophisticated effect." (Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times)

Camille A. Brown has been commissioned by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street II, Urban Bush Women, Ailey II, Ballet Memphis, and Philadanco. Her work is characterized by shifting dynamics, play with levels, and particular attention to detailed movements of the hands. A former member of Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2006, Brown was the first woman to win the Princess Grace Award for Choreography. Brown has performed several times at the Pillow: she appeared with Evidence in 2002 and 2005, and in a collaborative performance entitled This Woman's Work on the Inside/Out Stage in 2004.

As part of "Let's Dance!", a new community event on July 4th at Jacob's Pillow, Brown will teach a Master Class geared toward intermediate/advanced dancers. Pre-registration is required, but the class is free of charge and anyone is welcome to observe. To pre-register, call the Jacob's Pillow Dance Community Hotline (413.243.9919 x5) one week prior to the class. Let's Dance! will feature a variety of free workshops and activities suitable for teens, adults, and children of all dance experience levels.

The Creative Development Residency Program is part of Jacob's Pillow's longstanding core mission to support artists and their development; in fact the Pillow was originally founded as an artists' retreat. The program serves as a signature of the Pillow's artistic point of view and underscores its commitment to expand horizons, both of choreographers and audiences. During Creative Development Residencies, artists are invited to spend one to three weeks at the Pillow creating or rehearsing new work, with free housing for the company, unlimited use of studio space, and access to the Archives and other Pillow resources. In the quiet off-season atmosphere of Jacob's Pillow, the residencies are rare opportunities for artists to focus on the creative process without distraction. Each Creative Development Residency concludes with an invitation-only work-in-progress showing during which artists receive valuable creative feedback from audience members.

Following a residency with his company, choreographer Stephen Petronio observed, "dancing at the Pillow was like being marooned in heaven." Dozens of works have been created at the Pillow, including that of Bill T. Jones, with Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land; Mark Morris' collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Falling Down Stairs; Joanna Haigood's site-specific Invisible Wings; The Other Here, by Annie B-Parson and Paul Lazar, Artistic Directors of Big Dance Theater; and Kate Weare's 2008 Bridge of Sighs.

Performance and Ticket Information
Wednesday, June 30 - Saturday, July 3, 8:15pm
Saturday, July 3 & Sunday, July 4, 2:15pm

Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered on the porch of the Doris Duke Theatre 30 minutes before every performance.
Tickets range from $30-36.

Tickets on sale now online at www.jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at Jacob's Pillow.

Box Office hours: Monday through Friday, 10am-5pm with extended hours during the Festival. Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x125.

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.

Free Events at the Pillow June 30 - July 3
Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Isabel Gotzkowsky and Friends
NEW TIME Wednesday, June 30, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Artistic Director Isabel Gotzkowsky, called "theatrically assertive" by The New York Times, has created over 30 works for her contemporary dance company. The company presents Quantum Humanum, based on creating and breaking from geometric patterns, and Circumstantial Affinities, a group of duets that reflect the bliss of a new love.

Free "PillowTalk" Discussion and Book Signing- Tap Dancing America
NEW DAY Thursday, July 1, 5pm
Blake's Barn
Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Constance Valis Hill has written Tap Dancing America, a comprehensive cultural history of this quintessential American art form, tracing with verve and grace tap's origins and its recent and vibrant resurgence. Legendary tappers Harold Cromer and Dianne Walker, artist faculty of The School at Jacob's Pillow, will be on hand with Hill to discuss and sign this new book.

Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Roger C. Jeffrey/Subtle Changes
NEW TIME Thursday, July 1, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Award-winning choreographer Roger C. Jeffrey, who has previously worked with Festival artist Camille A. Brown and currently works with The Metropolitan Opera and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, brings his contemporary ensemble to perform Miguelito, a dance-theatre work set in 1950s Harlem, and Lealtad Nos Libera, a balletic work featuring four couples.

Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Korean Traditional Music & Dance Institute of N.Y.
NEW TIME Friday, July 2, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Honoring the traditions of Korean culture, this group will present three works: Hwang-Jin-Yi Scarf Dance; Kayagum Sanjo, a Korean 12-string instrument concerto; and Jin-do Drum dance.

Free "PillowTalk" Discussion and Film Screening- Canadian Dance on Film
Saturday, July 3, 4pm
Blake's Barn
Daniel Conrad's short dance film, Afternoon of the Chimeras (choreographed by Aszure Barton), forms the centerpiece of this PillowTalk program sampling Canadian dance films, also featuring commentary and excerpts from Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Philip Szporer and filmmaker Marlene Millar.

Free "Inside/Out" Showing - The School at Jacob's Pillow - Tap
NEW TIME Saturday, July 3, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Directed by "First Lady of Tap" Dianne Walker, faculty of the Tap Program includes award-winning tap performers Derick K. Grant and Tasha Lawson and live music under the direction of Paul Arslanian. This showing features a range of tap styles with dancers of The School after their first week of intensive study.

Activities at Jacob's Pillow

The Archives at Jacob's Pillow invites impromptu visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow's computer catalog, or peruse Permanent Collections of Pillow programs and photographs. Pillow Interactive, a popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant interlinked access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s.

Patrons are always welcome to explore the historic grounds to discover all the reasons why the Pillow was named a National Historic Landmark, with Guided Tours leaving from the Welcome Center every Friday and Saturday at 5:30pm. Self-guided tour maps are always available as well.

Visitors can also relax in the historic Tea Garden, where Ted Shawn's Men Dancers welcomed the first Pillow audiences in the 1930s, as they peek into the Bakalar Studio to watch rehearsals; or stroll through several ecological zones on the Wetlands Trail, created as part of the Pillow's responsible stewardship of its 163 acres of rural environment.

Dance Opportunities

Morning Jumpstart Classes offered in Pilates, Ballet, Modern, and Arab-American Fusion, Mondays through Thursdays at 8am. All experience levels, 16 and older, $8 per class, Ruth St. Denis Studio. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x5.

Weekly Master Classes are led by Festival artists on Sundays from 10:30am to noon for intermediate and advanced dancers, $15 per class. Pre-registration is required. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x5.

The School at Jacob's Pillow is open to public observation Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am-5pm, featuring world renowned faculty at no charge. Interested groups of four or more should confirm space availability by calling 413.243.9919 x5.
Dining

The Pillow Café offers fine dining with full bar on The Great Lawn. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 5-7pm. Reservations are required, call 413.243.2455.

The Pillow Pub offers casual family fare, takeout for picnics, and full bar service. Wednesdays through Fridays 5pm-midnight, Saturdays noon-midnight, and Sundays noon-5pm.

The Coffee Bar and Ice Cream Bar are open pre-performance and during intermissions.

Sample menus for each dining venue are available at www.jacobspillow.org. Pillow Patrons are also invited to bring picnics and relax at one of many choice picnic spots on the Pillow grounds.

Jacob's Pillow is part of Leading for the Future: Innovative Support for Artistic Excellence, created by Nonprofit Finance Fund and funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

This presentation is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

As of May 2010, major support for Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival has been provided by: Asian Cultural Council; The Cricket Foundation; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Frances Alexander Family Fund; The Howard Gilman Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation, Inc.; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts; Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation, Inc.; The Prospect Hill Foundation; The Roxe Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Spingold Foundation, Inc.; The Walbridge Fund, Ltd.; Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; MassDevelopment; Mass Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius; American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Save America's Treasures; CEC ArtsLink and the Open World Leadership Center; ALEX®; Greylock Federal Credit Union; The Legacy Banks Foundation; Pilgrim Inn; Quality Inn; The Pillow Business Alliance; and Jacob's Pillow Members.

Major endowment support is provided by The Barrington Foundation, Inc.; The William Randolph Hearst Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Onota Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Talented Students in the Arts Initiative, a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Surdna Foundation; and Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

 

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