Jacob's Pillow Presents BODYTRAFFIC, 7/31

Dynamic contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC makes its Jacob's Pillow debut July 31- August 4 in the Doris Duke Theatre. Named among Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2013, the company's Pillow program consists of And at midnight the green bride floated through the village square...(2012) created by Israeli-American dancemaker Barak Marshall, Fragile Dwellings (2011) by Belgian-born choreographer Stijn Celis, and O2Joy (2012) by founder and artistic director of The Bakery, Richard Siegal.

Marshall's And at midnight, the green bride floated through the village square... is a detailed, theatrical, and fast-paced work based in part on a true story of a family who were once neighbors of Marshall's mother Margalit Oved, an acclaimed choreographer and performer. The family of nine led a life commanded by jealousy and passion, reflected in Marshall's choreography. Brian Seibert of The New York Times called the work, "a dark comedy in the traditional plight of women in marriage." The piece blends "folk-contemporary dancing concentrated above the waist in rhythmic gestures of woes and sex..." with a soundtrack comprised heavily of Jewish love songs and hymns from the Yiddish, Ladino and Yemenite traditions. As a guest artist, Oved herself will perform the role of a wise and entertaining grandmother.

An exploration of beauty and human connection, Fragile Dwellings is dedicated to the homeless population of Los Angeles. Celis' profound choreography, paired with visual artist Erwin Redl's evocative incandescent light installation, produces a captivating work that critic Debra Levine of ArtsMeme finds "packs a depth of connection and even profundity as its four performers converse on stage with their bodies. What dance is supposed to be."

Closing the program is O2Joy (2012),a playful piece set to music from American jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Glenn Miller, and The Oscar Peterson Trio. Siegal's ballet-based and commercial dance infused choreography shows off the strong technique of the dancers as this fun, lighthearted contemporary work exudes the pure joy of movement and music.

Founded in 2007 by Lillian Rose Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC's mission is to help establish Los Angeles as a major center for contemporary dance. The spirited young company builds its repertory by commissioning work from notable choreographers that vary in both style and design. BODYTRAFFIC not only performs, but provides a range of training opportunities through open company classes, workshops, and a three-week summer program. Additionally, the company stays involved in its community through an outreach program that provides classes and rehearsal access to inner-city schools in Los Angeles.

Company History: BODYTRAFFIC, founded in 2007 by Lillian Rose Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett, is a Los Angeles-based non-profit repertory dance company that commissions today's most distinctive choreographers. Current repertory includes works by Sidra Bell, Sarah Elgart, Alex Ketley, Barak Marshall, Andrea Miller, Laura Gorenstein Miller, Zoe Scofield, Richard Siegal, and Guy Weizman & Roni Haver. Upcoming commissions include works by Hofesh Schechter and Victor Quijada. In its short history, BODYTRAFFIC has performed at numerous venues around the Los Angeles area as well as in the Gotham Dance Festival at the Joyce Theater in 2012. In collaboration with Barak Marshall, BODYTRAFFIC won first prize at The A.W.A.R.D. Show!, co-presented by REDCAT and The Joyce Theater Foundation in 2011. Last season, BODYTRAFFIC performed a world premiere by Barak Marshall at Disney Concert Hall for Los Angeles Philharmonic Dances, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

Festival Connections: Co-Director Tina Finkelman performed at the Pillow with Aszure & Artists in 2005 and 2006.

PERFORMANCE AND TICKET INFORMATION

BODYTRAFFIC

Doris Duke Theatre

Wednesday, July 31 through Saturday, August 3 at 8:15pm

Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4 at 2:15pm

• Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residenceare offered on the porch of the Doris Duke Theatre 30 minutes before every performance.
• A Post-Show Q&A with artistic personnel from BODYTRAFFIC will take place onstage on Thursday, August 1.
• Tickets$22-$43. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office.
• 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 theatres are handicapped-accessible.

IN THE TED SHAWN THEATRE, JULY 31- AUGUST 4

3e Étage

Ted Shawn Theatre

Wednesday, July 31- Saturday August 3, 8pm

Saturday, August 3 & Sunday, August 4, 2pm

When 3e Étage made its sold-out U.S. debut at the Pillow in 2011, audiences fell in love with the company's sharp wit, quirky characters, and jaw-dropping dancing. These dancers, soloists, and étoiles of the legendary Paris Opera Ballet turn classical ballet on its head with inventive and clever style. They premiere Le Pillow Thirteen, a suite of beloved favorites and new ballets commissioned by and created especially for Jacob's Pillow by choreographer/director Samuel Murez.

FREE EVENTS AT JACOB'S PILLOW, JULY 31-August 4
Inside/Out Performance: Jessica Gaynor Dance
Henry J. Leir Stage and Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Wednesday, July 31, 6:15pm
Founded in 2003, Jessica Gaynor Dance (JGD) is a six-member modern dance company based in Brooklyn, NY. Hailed for its risk-laden physicality and sophisticated choreography, the company performs work that utilizes intricate patterning and formal structures in an exploration of the human experience. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: Atamira Dance Company
Henry J. Leir Stage and Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Thursday, August 1, 6:15pm
New Zealand's leading M?ori contemporary dance group, Atamira Dance Company,presents various works that draw from thecompany's personal stories and whakapapa (genealogy/tribal links), as inspired by Aotearoa's (M?ori for New Zealand) history, legends, and indigenous issues. Atamira is committed to creating work that explores being contemporary M?ori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, as well as finding resonance in both contemporary dance vocabulary and music. FREE

PillowTalk: Premiere Man of 3e Étage
Blake's Barn at Jacob's Pillow
Friday, August 2, 5pm
The man behind 3e Étage, choreographer, director, and Paris Opera Ballet dancer Samuel Murez is a primal force, and here he discusses his fascinating background and adventures in leading this offshoot of the legendary Paris Opera Ballet.FREE

Inside/Out Performance: Eidolon Ballet
Henry J. Leir Stage and Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Friday, August 2, 6:15pm
Eidolon Ballet, led by Artistic Director Melanie Cortier, is a chamber-sized contemporary ballet company created in 1999 with a reputation for developing accessible, unorthodox, and fun-loving forms of dance. Eidolon contrasts ballet and modern dance styles with cultural, modern, and classical music, creating a universal dance experience. FREE

PillowTalk: Diaghilev and Pavlova
Blake's Barn at Jacob's Pillow
Saturday, August 3, 4pm
Jane Pritchard of London's Victoria and Albert Museum has co-curated an astonishing Ballets Russes exhibit (now showing in Washington), and she discusses it in this talk, along with her new Pavlova book. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: The School at Jacobs Pillow-Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance
Henry J. Leir Stage and Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Saturday, August3, 6:15pm
As part of their study in the Jazz/Musical Theatre Program, dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow present jazz/musical theatre dance variations coached by program director and Tony-nominee Chet Walker. FREE

Exhibit: Shooting Stars
Blake's Barn at Jacob's Pillow
Open June 19 - Aug 25
Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 10pm, Tuesday and Sunday, noon to 6pm
To experience dance through the eyes of other dancers is a rare treat, and this exhibit encompasses uncommon sights and vantage points, photos taken by professional dancers, that will be totally new to most viewers. New York City Ballet star Wendy Whelan reveals what goes on in the dressing rooms of New York City Ballet while Miguel Anaya shares his backstage view from last season's production From the Horse's Mouth: The Men Dancers, and much more. FREE

Exhibit: Jordan Matter: Dancers Among Us
Ted Shawn Theatre Lobby
Open 60 minutes pre-performance

By showing dancers in everyday surroundings, photographer Jordan Matter demonstrates just how extraordinary the human body can be. There's no photo manipulation here--no trampolines, no gimmicks, no tricks--which makes these images of roadside leaps and high kicks on the subway all the more remarkable. Including recognizable dance figures and relative unknowns, this collection truly communicates the excitement of having dancers among us. FREE

Exhibit: Christopher Duggan: Inside/Out

Doris Duke Theatre Lobby

Open 60 minutes pre-performance

As the Pillow's Festival Photographer since 2006, Christopher Duggan has now documented literally thousands of indelible dance moments. Focusing specifically on Inside/Out for an exhibit last summer at Saratoga's National Museum of Dance, these images are now coming home for the first time. Duggan's superb extra-large prints show off an incomparable setting in an unforgettable way. FREE

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Archives

Blake's Barn at Jacob's Pillow

Open June 19 - Aug 25

Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 10pm, Tuesday and Sunday, noon to 5pm

This informal library and reading room allows Pillow visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow's computer catalog, or peruse permanent collections of Pillow programs and photographs. Pillow Interactive, the popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s, and the Dance Heritage Coalition's new Secure Media Network features videos from other archives throughout the country. FREE

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