Jacob's Pillow Presents Indian Dancer Shantala Shivalingappa 7/7-7/10

In a return engagement at Jacob's Pillow, the preeminent Indian dancer, Shantala Shivalingappa, will perform a U.S. premiere program accompanied live by master musicians. Shivalingappa captivates audiences with the precise storytelling embodied in her interpretation of the Kuchipudi form of classical Indian dance. Praised by The New York Times' chief dance critic Alastair Macaulay for her "witty charm," Shivalingappa will perform Shiva Ganga, an evening-length work exploring the balance between the energies of the Hindu god Shiva and the goddess Ganga.

"Shantala Shivalingappa embodies the beauty, grace, and virtuosity of classical Indian dance, which is also quite dynamic, with shifts of weight, precise positions, and a great deal of musicality," comments Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow. "The relationship between the music and the dance is fascinating; they are interdependent and produce an extraordinary dynamic of sound and soulfulness."

Shiva Ganga, featuring choreography by Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, Kishore Mosalikanti, and Shantala Shivalingappa, is a two-part program with live accompaniment by four musicians including flautist Navin Iyer, who has been featured on the soundtracks of Academy-Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and Bollywood hit Om Shanti Om (2007). The first half of Shiva Ganga is a selection of traditional solos including a prayer to the Sun God, a depiction of Dancing Ganesha, and a dance about the gods Radha and Krishna, whose relationship is the manifestation of love and devotion. It also includes a rhythmic solo showcasing the specific technique of Kuchipudi. The second part of the program is inspired by the balance of two distinct yet complementary energies: Shiva, the Lord of Dance, who creates and sustains the universe through dance; and Ganga, the Goddess of the sacred river Ganges, who embodies grace, beauty, and fluidity.

The daughter of acclaimed dancer and choreographer Savitry Nair, Shantala Shivalingappa has been compared to "the dancing glow of a flame, which enlightens us" (Paris Vogue). Raised in Paris, Shivalingappa returned to India at 16 to receive training in the Kuchipudi form of dance that she now brings to the Pillow. "Dance for me is joy and beauty," Shivalingappa said in an interview for European magazine Culture Kiosque. "I want to change the stereotyped image that some people have of Indian dance. I don't only dance for myself, but for my musicians and my audience...it doesn't matter if people don't understand the story or the significance of certain gestures." She has performEd Kuchipudi in Portugal, France, Morocco, Italy, Belgium, and New York City. Though she is trained classically in Kuchipudi, Shivalingappa's work is influenced by contemporary choreographer Pina Bausch, in whose company she has performed, appearing in many works including O Dido and Bamboo Blues.

While at Jacob's Pillow, Shantala Shivalingappa will lead a Master Class on Sunday, July 11, 10-11:30am. Sunday Master Classes are open to intermediate/advanced dancers and pre-registration is required (call 413.243.9919 x5). Master Classes are $15 per class or $8 for dance instructors with proper identification. The public is welcome to observe free of charge.

Kuchipudi is a classical dance form of South India characterized by its rhythmic, vibrant style, full of quick, intricate footwork and jumps. Originally a sacred men's dance, Kuchipudi is a combination of abstract and narrative movements based on Hindu mythology. The focus is on the use of gestures, facial expressions and body language; the hand gestures, or mudras, are codified into a very precise language. Vempati Chinna Satyam, Shantala Shivalingappa's guru and the choreographer of part of Shiva Ganga, is regarded as Kuchipudi's most influential practitioner, and is credited with spreading knowledge of Kuchipudi worldwide.

Performance and Ticket Information
Wednesday, July 7 - Saturday, July 10, 8:15pm
Saturday, July 10 & Sunday, July 11, 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. 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 July 7 - July 11
Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Decadancetheatre
NEW TIME Wednesday, July 7, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
A Brooklyn-based, all-female hip-hop crew, Decadancetheatre brings a program of high-energy new works with an international roster of b-girls, poppers, lockers, house, and experimental hip-hop dancers, set to a musical backdrop provided by a live DJ.

Free "PillowTalk" Discussion and Book Signing - Balasaraswati: Her Art and Life
NEW DAY Thursday, July 8, 5pm
Blake's Barn
Recognized as one of the 20th century's greatest performers, Balasaraswati made her U.S. debut at Jacob's Pillow in 1962. Her son-in-law, Douglas M. Knight, Jr., has written a biography of her legendary career, illustrated with rare historical photos including previously-unknown Pillow performance shots. Book signing to follow.

Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Aniruddha Knight
NEW TIME Thursday, July 8, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Aniruddha Knight, the grandson of celebrated Indian dancer Balasaraswati represents the ninth generation of India's most respected performers, and is an expert in the Bharata Natyam style. Together with live musicians he performs dance known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpture-like poses. A 5pm PillowTalk complements this performance.

Free "Inside/Out" Performance - Daniel Charon Dance
NEW TIME Friday, July 9, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
Charon, formerly a performer with contemporary masters José Limón and Doug Varone, uses his movement vocabulary to present views on how we communicate. Dancers in The Listening Room move in and out of each other's space, reminiscent of an overcrowded apartment.

Free "PillowTalk" Discussion - 21st Century Renaissance Man
Saturday, July 10, 4pm
Blake's Barn
California native Barak Marshall has spent most of his professional career in Israel, where he created many works for Ohad Naharin's acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company. Also active as a singer with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project and other prestigious projects, he is a renaissance man for the 21st century and discusses his career in this talk.

Free "Inside/Out" Showing - The School at Jacob's Pillow - Tap
NEW TIME Saturday, July 10, 6:15pm
Inside/Out
"First Lady of Tap" Dianne Walker, along with the legendary dancer Harold Cromer, director/choreographer Ray Hesselink, and music director Paul Arslanian, showcases dancers of The School in a range of tap styles to conclude their two weeks of intensive study at the Pillow.

Activities at Jacob's Pillow

The Archives at Jacob's Pillow allows 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.

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; Evelyn Stefansson Nef Foundation; New England Foundation for the Arts; Leading for the Future Initiative, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation; Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation, Inc.; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Quebec Government Office in Boston; The Roxe Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Spingold Foundation, Inc.; The Walbridge Fund, Ltd.; The Neil Chrisman Fund for International Dance at Jacob's Pillow; 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; Quality Inn; Rodeway 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.