Jacob's Pillow Presents Free Inside/Out Series, Now thru 8/29

Presenting both emerging and esteemed dance artists from across the U.S., Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival's Inside/Out Performance Series will return to the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage at the breathtaking Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space today, June 24-August 29.

An essential part of the Pillow's mission and a beloved tradition, Inside/Out performances are free and open to the public, featuring family-friendly and diverse dance styles ranging from classical ballet and hip-hop to tap and circus arts.

Serving a record-breaking 22,500+ audience members of all ages in 2014, the series is a part of more than 350 free programs including performances, talks, tours, exhibits, films, classes, and community events offered throughout the Festival.

For additional information on Festival 2015 artists and events, visit jacobspillow.org.

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Free Inside/Out Performance: Kùlú Mèlé Dance & Drum Ensemble

Wednesday, June 24, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Infusing African dance with urban American flair, Philadelphia-based Kùlú Mèlé boasts a rich repertoire of authentic, folkloric dance from Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and Cuba. Founded in 1969 by Baba Robert Crowder and led by Artistic Director Dorothy Wilkie, the company's high-energy performances get adults and children up on their feet and dancing in the aisles, distinguishing itself with beautiful costumes, a thrilling percussion battery, and dynamic choreography. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Summation Dance Company

Thursday, June 25, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Brooklyn-based and all-female, Summation Dance Company finds beauty in struggle and humor in the mundane. Led by NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduates Sumi Clements and Taryn Vander Hoop, the modern dance company is "full of energy and creativity" (Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times), performing highly physical work since its formation in 2010. Summation presents an excerpt from Shift (2013) which explores the notion of planes of existence, and Updating Route, Please Standby (2014), a reflection on the relationship between expectation and reality. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Company Danzante Contemporary Dance

Friday, June 26, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

A contemporary repertory company based in Arlington, VA, Company Danzante is led by Arturo Garcia and Katherine Horrigan, an alumna of the School at Jacob's Pillow. The company presents Horrigan's Collected Remnants (2013) and Garcia's Here and Now, commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Ballet Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, June 27, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from the Ballet Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow present a work choreographed by BalletX founder Matthew Neenan, originally created on the dancers only four days prior to their performance at the Pillow's Season Opening Gala. The students will also perform classical variations coached by program director Anna-Marie Holmes. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Schoen Movement Company

Wednesday, July 1, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Resonating with dance and non-dance audiences alike, founder Emily Schoen approaches dance as a humanized, heartening, and highly technical form of physical art. The work of Schoen Movement Company is compellingly musical, set to rich scores that vary from classical and rhythmic, to modern-day and playful. The company brings two world premieres to the Inside/Out series, both set to original sound collaborations with New York-based musicians. FREE.

Free Inside/Out Performance: Williams College Dance Department

Thursday, July 2, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Members of Williams College dance companies Kusika and Sankofa perform diverse works along with the Zambezi Marimba Band. Alumni of the Williams College Dance Department have gone on to dance with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Sarah Skaggs, Ben Munisteri, Shen Wei Dance Arts, and David Neumann/advanced beginner group, among others.This performance is a part of the Berkshire County-wide Lift Ev'ry Voice festival. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: SoundMovement Dance Company

Friday, July 3, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Led by New York Dance and Performance "Bessie" Award winner and Dorrance Dance collaborator Nicholas Van Young, SoundMovement Dance Company is an ensemble of rhythmically trained dancers exploring movement and music as a combined medium. Through tap, body percussion, and other familiar forms, the company creates soundscapes and sound design through dance in excerpts of Environments.

Free Inside/Out Performance: Social Dances: Jazz to Hip-Hop Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, July 4, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from The School's new Cultural Traditions program, Social Dance: Jazz to Hip-Hop Program present a variety of dances, coached by program director and New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Award winner Camille A. Brown, fellow program director, artist, and dance scholar E. Moncell Durden, and faculty member, award-winning choreographer, and Broadway performer Adesola Osakalumi. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Trainor Dance

Wednesday, July 8, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Known for physicality and intelligence, Trainor Dance addresses wide-ranging topics with curiosity, humor, and verve. The company focuses on interdisciplinary work through dance in visual art, poetry, music, and film. Performing excerpts from Faux Pas, Sand Painting, and Alphabet Soup, their program is a celebration of movement through rhythmic virtuosity and audience interaction. FREE.

Free Inside/Out Performance: The Union Project Dance Company

Thursday, July 9, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

The Union Project Dance Company is a Los Angeles-based contemporary dance company founded in 2009 by Artistic Director and choreographer Mariana Oliveira. Blending gestures, emotional drama, and athleticism, the company's program will include three of their latest works: Fearing the Unknown (2013), W.S. (2014), and Mirror in a Mirror (2015). FREE.

Free Inside/Out Performance: CONTINUUM Contemporary/Ballet

Friday, July 10, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Making their third appearance as part of the Inside/Out series, CONTINUUM Contemporary/Ballet is a New York City-based company comprised of classically trained dancers with contemporary artistic voices. CONTINUUM's program features the vibrant A Prismatic Abstraction, by founder Donna Salgado and performed to a score by Jazz musician Jon Batiste. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Social Dances: Jazz to Hip-Hop Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, July 11, 6:15pm

Dancers from The School's new Cultural Traditions program, Social Dance: Jazz to Hip-Hop Program present a variety of dances, coached by program director and New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Award winner Camille A. Brown, fellow program director, artist, and dance scholar E. Moncell Durden, and faculty member, Camille A. Brown and Dancers rehearsal director and Ott/The Walk Artistic Director Francine E. Ott. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: New Generation Dance Company

Wednesday, July 15, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded in 2003, New Generation Dance Company exhibits a unique fusion of Argentine tango and contemporary dance technique. Performing Bach-Piazzolla, performers explore the concept of "contrapunto" (counterpoint) and the facets of physical, mental, and spiritual expression. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Darrah Carr Dance

Thursday, July 16, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Specializing in a blend of traditional Irish step and contemporary modern dance, New York-based Darrah Carr Dance creates high-energy, rhythmically based works. The "immensely likable and skillful dancers" (The New York Times) have performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and MASS MoCA, as well as NBC's "Today" show, among others. The company's program will include traditional Irish step works as well as a solo performed by Trent Kowalick, who played the role of "Billy" in Broadway's Billy Elliot.

Free Inside/Out Performance: Pantos Project

Friday, July 17, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Boston-based contemporary dance company Pantos Project is committed to creating and performing the athletic, honest, and innovative work of Artistic Director Kat Pantos. Following a passionate vision to entertain and inspire, the company's program includes electrifying movement to a diverse score including Perspective, the pulsating She Said, She Said, and the duet Off the Down.

Free Inside/Out Performance: Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, July 18, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from the Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow present contemporary variations coached by program director Milton Myers and esteemed faculty member and 2013 Guggenheim Fellow Brian Brooks. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Jacob Jonas The Company

Wednesday, July 22, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Los Angeles-based Jacob Jonas The Company (JJTC) is committed to building a community of likeminded artists who, through their work, reveal the importance and relevance of dance in contemporary society. In A Room On Broad St. utilizes breakdancing, contemporary ballet, and acrobatic techniques to provide commentary on society's competitive nature. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Manuel Vignoulle - M/motions

Thursday, July 23, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Based in New York City and led by French choreographer Manuel Vignoulle, M/motions utilizes highly technical movement, fusing classical styles with contemporary gesture. This program features three diversely styled duets which explore the perception of "the other" as a multifaceted unknown. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Nimble Arts presents an excerpt from RUCKUS

Friday, July 24, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded by identical twin aerialists Elsie Smith and Serenity Smith Forchion, Nimble Arts is a traveling circus arts company presenting a cast of performers whose resumes include Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Eloize, and the Big Apple Circus. The family-friendly RUCKUS features breathtaking, high flying acrobatics inspired by dance, poetry, and vaudeville in a stunning display of circus arts. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, July 25, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from the Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow present contemporary variations coached by program director Milton Myers and 2012 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award winner and 2013 MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Visceral Dance Chicago

Wednesday, July 29, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" of 2015, Visceral Dance Chicago is a contemporary dance company dedicated to a bold and progressive world of movement.

"Expertly devised and stylish" (The Chicago Tribune), the company's Inside/Out performance includes work from their diverse repertory including Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin's Duet Mabul, Changes by Spanish choreographer Mónica Cervantes, and Artistic Director Nick Pupillo's Impetere. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Mettin Movement

Thursday, July 30, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded in 2011 by Artistic Director Sarah Mettin, Mettin Movement is a contemporary dance company based in New York City and fiscally sponsored by New York Live Arts. Consisting of twelve culturally diverse dancers, the company blurs the boundaries of classical and modern technique. Mettin Movement will perform a range of works, including their first work as a company, In Dividing, to their most recent piece, Allegory : Aeon. FREE .

Free Inside/Out Performance: Post:Ballet

Friday, July 31, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Hailed as "among the finest on the West Coast" (San Francisco Chronicle), San Francisco's Post:Ballet is led by Artistic Director Robert Dekkers, one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2011. Founded in 2009 and comprised of classically trained dancers, the company explores traditional ballet themes with a widely conceptual edge. The program is danced to a score of works by ever-popular composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, as well as original compositions by rising composer Jonathan Pfeffer. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, August 1, 6:15

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Dancers from the Contemporary Program of The School at Jacob's Pillow present contemporary variations coached by program director Milton Myers and faculty member and Ballet BC Artistic Director Emily Molnar. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Dark Circles Contemporary Dance

Wednesday, August 5, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded in 2010 in Seoul, South Korea and with an American branch based in North Texas, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (DCCD) explores the depth of human connection within a multicultural framework. Led by Dance Magazine's 2015 "25 to Watch" choreographer Joshua L. Peugh, DCCD features innovative combinations of classical technique and modern movement styles with a dynamic company of performers. The program will include the quirky duet Critics of the Morning Song, the theatrical ensemble work Slump, as well as the beautifully meditative White Day. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Brian Sanders' JUNK

Thursday, August 6, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon performance Space

Based in Philadelphia, Brian Sanders' JUNK is known for its ingenious use of found objects and clever inventions that bridge the gap between dance and physical theater. The troupe's performances are an exhilarating feast of exciting physicality and creativity, comedy served with beauty and intellect. The company presents a preview of new work American Standard, set to traditional bluegrass music. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater

Friday, August 7, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Celebrating their 40th anniversary season, Chicago's Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater brings a fusion of folkloric, classical, Flamenco, and contemporary dance imbued the music traditions of Spain. Founded by Dame Libby Komaiko and led by Artistic Director Irma Suarez Ruiz, the company represents a mosaic of cultures, comprised of forty dancers, singers, and musicians from around the world. With live musical accompaniment, the company will present Sur, a classical ballet and contemporary flamenco work, as well as the world premiere of Nuestro Camino, a Flamenco Alegrias duet from southern Spain's Andalucia. Ensemble Español is in residence at Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Musical Theatre Dance of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, August 8, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

The international students from the Musical Theatre Dance program of The School at Jacob's Pillow perform repertory works to live music coached by program director, Tony Award winner, and Broadway veteran Chet Walker in preparation for the annual benefit for The School at Jacob's Pillow, A Jazz Happening. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Koltun Ballet Academy

Wednesday, August 12, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded in 2012 and dedicated to providing classical technique training and an inspirational environment for aspiring young dancers, Koltun Ballet Academy (KBA) is led by internationally acclaimed dancer and instructor Alexandra Koltun previously of Boston Ballet and the Kirov Ballet among others, along with co-founder and esteemed performer and teacher Alex Lapshin formerly of Bolshoi Ballet and Boston Ballet. For their Inside/Out performance, KBA students ages 14-19 present excerpts of the classic ballet fairytale Sleeping Beauty. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Phenix by SOLE Defined

Thursday, August 13, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded in 2011, SOLE Defined is a percussive dance company based in Washington, DC and led by Cirque du Soleil's Ryan K. Johnson and award winning choreographer Quynn Johnson. Tap dance meets body percussion in SOLE Defined's dynamic rhythmic performance of Phenix. A fusion of music and movement, the show features traditional sand dance, tap, and body percussion with influences from jazz and African rhythms. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Laurie M. Taylor/Soul Movement

Friday, August 14, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Led by Artistic Director Laurie M. Taylor, Soul Movement's work combines vernacular movement aesthetics and contemporary technical forms with an emphasis on groove. The company will present Le Session de Mouvement Petite (LSMP), which features vignettes of unique movement stories, simulating a sense of fantasy and fierce optimism. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Musical Theatre Dance of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, August 15, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

The international students from the Musical Theatre Dance program of The School at Jacob's Pillow perform repertory works to live music coached by program director, Tony Award winner, and Broadway veteran Chet Walker in preparation for the annual benefit for The School at Jacob's Pillow, A Jazz Happening. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Still Motion Dance Company

Wednesday, August 19, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Under the artistic direction of So You Think You Can Dance's Emmy-nominated choreographer Stacey Tookey, Still Motion Dance Company is a Los Angeles-based dance company comprised of unique, multi-disciplinary artists performing emotional and vibrant work. Combining tap, theatre, and contemporary dance, this performance includes excerpts from their sold out world premiere of Moments Defined. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Illstyle & Peace Productions

Thursday, August 20, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

lllstyle & Peace Productions is a multicultural Philadelphia-based dance company founded in 2002 by Brandon "Peace" Albright. The company creates work rooted in contemporary, West African, and old-school hip-hop styles, blended with an eclectic mix of dance and performance disciplines including tap, ballet, DJing, and beatboxing. The company is committed to delivering positive messages to all audiences, particularly youth. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: The Hell's Kitchen Kilowatts

Friday, August 21, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

The Hell's Kitchen Kilowatts is a New York City-based dance company led by Tony Fraser and Jaime Shannon. The company regularly performs high energy swing-era jazz dances such as Shag, Lindy Hop, and Charleston with dynamic choreography that bridges the gap between these authentic styles, and contemporary dance styles of today. This performance is part of the Highland Street Foundation's Free Fun Fridays series. For more information about Free Fun Fridays please visit highlandstreet.org/freefunfridays. FREE.

Free Inside/Out Performance: Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance of The School at Jacob's Pillow

Saturday, August 22, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

The international students from the Musical Theatre Dance program of The School at Jacob's Pillow perform repertory works to live music coached by program director, Tony Award winner, and Broadway veteran Chet Walker in preparation for the annual benefit for The School at Jacob's Pillow, A Jazz Happening. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: The History of Her, Kristen Foote Dance Project

Wednesday, August 26, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Founded by the widely-acclaimed dance artist Kristen Foote (Limón Dance Company, Dance Heginbotham, and Mark Morris Dance Group, among others), Kristen Foote Dance Project explores choreography as it relates to the female role in modern contemporary dance. The company will present The History of Her, a celebration of the power, heroism, tenderness, and sensuality of being a woman. The program includes selected works of Isadora Duncan, José Limón, and Lar Lubovitch, as well as a world premiere commission by 2014 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award recipient John Heginbotham. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Nimbus Dance Works

Thursday, August 27, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Celebrating its 10th anniversary season, Nimbus Dance Works creates an intersection between high-level modern dance and innovative ways of involving communities and audiences. Guided by Artistic Director Samuel Pott (former soloist of Martha Graham Dance Company), Nimbus presents works by leading international dancemakers and is comprised of top-tier dancers from widely-recognized companies including Ballet Hispanico, Ailey II, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. Nimbus performs Pott's most recent work Patch of Turf with music by Dawn of Midi's Qasim Naqvi, Cuban-born choreographer Pedro Ruiz's crowd-pleasing Danzon, and Pearl Primus' seminal female solo Strange Fruit. FREE

Free Inside/Out Performance: Dancing Classrooms Youth Dance Company

Friday, August 28, 6:15pm

Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space

Through the program that inspired popular films Mad Hot Ballroom, Take the Lead and Dancing in Jaffa, each child in the Dancing Classrooms Youth Dance Company began their ballroom journey through Dancing Classrooms residencies in their respective NYC elementary schools. Under the artistic direction of Alee Reed, the company will perform a variety of social dance styles from Latin to ballroom to swing, as well as a 15-minute interactive dance class so the audience can join in the fun.

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