Jacob's Pillow Reinstates National Dance Presenters Forum In Festival 2018

Jacob's Pillow announces the return of The National Dance Presenters Forum at Jacob's Pillow, organized with key partners in response to field-wide demand and in support of the Pillow's commitment to facilitate and host discourses in dance development as outlined in its five-year strategic plan, Vision '22. The National Dance Presenters Forum was first established at Jacob's Pillow in August 1996 and was held annually through 2006. The forum was widely recognized for its lasting impact on the professional development of performing arts presenters and the national growth and interest in the presentation and touring of dance.

This five-day leadership development conference for 15 presenters from across the U.S. will be held July 11-15, 2018, coinciding with Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, MA. Lead funding for this initiative comes from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) and The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support provided by The Barr Foundation, Dance/USA, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, South Arts, and curriculum support provided by the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance at Wesleyan University.

"It is imperative that we have a forum for experienced and emerging dance presenters and producers focused on exploring their roles as a bridge between dance artists and audiences, facilitating the contextualization of their work. We need a platform where presenters can learn how to advocate for artists and build networks and partnerships to support their career trajectory," says Jacob's Pillow Director Pamela Tatge.

"APAP is excited to partner with Jacob's Pillow again to bring back The National Dance Presenters Forum. An extremely popular and influential program, the forum promises to strengthen the capacity, experience, and networks of presenters committed to supporting dance performances and facilitating meaningful connections between dance artists and their communities. This effort also underscores APAP's commitment to convening performing arts professionals to advance the field while fostering peer learning and support," says APAP Director of Programs and Resources, Krista Rimple Bradley.

"NEFA is thrilled to partner with Jacob's Pillow to relaunch The National Dance Presenters Forum at Jacob's Pillow; the opportunity aligns with NEFA's new strategic plan and findings from the Moving Dance Forward report by extending our support to individuals and organizations around the country newer to presenting dance in their communities," says NEFA Program Director for Dance, Sara C. Nash.

The 2018 Forum will draw on the success of previous iterations and incorporate additional insight from initiatives including NEFA's National Dance Project Regional Dance Development Initiatives and Moving Dance Forward: NEFA's National Dance Project at 20 & Critical Field Trends report; the Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance Master's Program; South Arts Dance Touring Initiative; Dance/USA Engaging Dance Audiences; APAP's Leadership Programs; and the Pillow's Festival artists, scholars, staff, archives, and commitment to year-round programming which supports dance development.

Jacob's Pillow is working closely with national and regional partners to develop the curriculum for the program. As a result, the forum will provide a platform to discuss critical issues facing the dance field; strengthen curatorial practice in dance; explore collaborative strategies to support choreographic development; learn about and share audience engagement strategies; strengthen professional networks; and bolster support for dance across the United States.

Participants will be identified and invited by the forum's planning committee comprised of representatives from Jacob's Pillow, NEFA, APAP, Dance/USA, Mid-America Arts Alliance, South Arts, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and Project Consultant Jennifer Calienes. The committee will prioritize participation by presenters new to dance as an organization or as an individual, as well as non-traditional dance presenters. The committee will strive to seek varied geographic representation and be inclusive of historically underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Room and board, participation costs, and tickets to Festival performances for those invited to attend will be fully subsidized. Festival Artists that coincide with the forum include PHILADANCO!, Philadelphia's premiere contemporary ballet company, and Eastman, led by one of the most original and ambitious talents in contemporary dance today, Belgian-based Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, among others.

ABOUT JACOB'S PILLOW: Jacob's Pillow is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest-running international dance festival. While celebrating its 85th Festival in 2017, the Pillow announced its transition to becoming a year-round center for dance through a five-year strategic plan titled Vision '22. Each Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and over 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, events, and community programs. 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, Contemporary, Musical Theatre Dance, Choreography, and an annual rotating program (Gaga in 2018). The Pillow also provides professional advancement opportunities across disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production through seasonal internships and a year-round Administrative Fellows program. With growing community engagement programs, the Pillow serves as a partner and active citizen in its local community. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public and online at danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org, chronicle more than a century of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos. Notable artists who have created or premiered dances at the Pillow include choreographers Antony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Alvin Ailey, Donald McKayle, Kevin Mckenzie, Twyla Tharp, Ralph Lemon, Susan Marshall, Trisha Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Wally Cardona, Andrea Miller, and Trey McIntyre; performed by artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carmen de Lavallade, Mark Morris, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Edward Villella, Rasta Thomas, and hundreds of others. On March 2, 2011, President Barack Obama honored Jacob's Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, making the Pillow the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award. For more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org.