Martha Graham Dance Company to Return to Jacob's Pillow Through Season Finale, 8/30

The legendary Martha Graham Dance Company (MGDC) will kick off its 90th Anniversary year in a seven-show engagement at Jacob's Pillow's historic Ted Shawn Theatre, August 26-30. Celebrating the company's pioneering past and trail-blazing reputation, MGDC's program features a diverse set of works including Graham's dramatic classic Embattled Garden, the world premiere of AXE by eminent choreographer Mats Ek, the powerful Depak Ine by Nacho Duato, and Echo by Greek choreographer Adonis Foniadakis.

In its 90th year, MGDC exhibits its strength with a program ranging widely in choreographic style and era, both paying homage to its roots as a cornerstone of modern dance and embracing the work of new choreographers. Brian Seibert of The New York Times praises the company's versatility, stating that the Graham dancers "can tend their heritage while performing equally well in pieces that might suit almost any other repertory troupe."

MGDC's program will include Martha Graham's classic Embattled Garden (1958), only performed once before at Jacob's Pillow, at the 2003 Gala. An engaging reimagining of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the work is set to Carlos Surinach's Latin-infused score capturing Graham's signature artistry in "dramatically nuanced" (Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times) and "amusingly seductive" (Victoria Looseleaf, Los Angeles Times) satire. Graham's artistic collaborator and legendary designer Isamu Noguchi's beautifully stark setting remains refreshingly contemporary and exhibits a mastery of minimalism.

Created for MGDC by sought-after Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato, Depak Ine features Duato's signature theatricality coupled with the dramatic presence and artistry of the Graham company. Driven by a Darwinian narrative of primordial ritual, the Graham dancers embody the movement with "complete urgency, precision and motivation" (Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times). A sensational score combining electronic musician John Talabot's Fin and Serbian composer Arsenije Jvanovic's Athos-Montana Sacra is complemented by the shadowed lighting of American Ballet Theatre designer Bradley Fields and earthy costumes of Serbian designer Angelina Atlagic. Esteemed dance writer Deborah Jowitt notes that Duato's technically challenging and powerfully striking work sits well on the dancers, which they embrace "with immense skill and ferocious concentration."

The program will include a world premiere by prolific Swedish choreographer Mats Ek titled AXE. Originally conceived as a dance film for venerable dancers Ana Laguna and Yvan Auzely, AXE involves a woodsman (Ben Schultz) and his female companion (Peiju Chien-Pott). Called "a master of the updated classics" (Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times), Ek has a proclivity for exploring human relationships through all lenses with a well-crafted, distinctive movement vocabulary. An esteemed choreographer for Nederlands Dans Theater and previous Artistic Director of the Cullberg Ballet (founded by his mother, Birgit Cullberg), Ek has been commissioned by prestigious companies including the Paris Opera Ballet and Hamburg Ballet, and received two Emmy Awards for his screen-adapted works.

Set to an entrancing original score by French composer Julien Tarride, Adonis Foniadakis's Echo enlivens the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus. The dynamic Graham dancers exhibit their versatility in Foniadakis's rippling and intricately woven movement. The dancers of MGDC are praised for terrific "speed and pliancy" (Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times) in the work, further proving the company's wide-ranging capacity. An international presence in dance, Foniadakis has created work for companies across the globe including Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Geneva Ballet, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal.

ABOUT MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY - Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the Martha Graham Dance Company is a heavy contributor and influential force in bringing dance to the 20th and 21st centuries, supporting many leading choreographers and dancers including Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor. Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times states, "Graham was a prime revolutionary in the arts of this century and the American dancer and choreographer whose name became synonymous with modern dance." Inspired by Denishawn, the company of Pillow founder Ted Shawn and wife Ruth St. Denis, Graham developed a unique vocabulary of her own, distinguishable for its dramatic themes and percussive, angular choreography, far from the lightness of ballet. With a repertoire of 181 works, today the Martha Graham Dance Company continues to showcase Graham's original choreography while performing newly commissioned works by contemporary artists that fall within the historical themes of the company's aesthetic.

Martha Graham's first dance inspiration was Ruth St. Denis, and she began her studies at the Denishawn School in Los Angeles in 1916. It was there that Ted Shawn, who recognized Graham's talents, became her earliest dance mentor until she left Denishawn in 1923. Shawn invited Graham to perform at the Pillow a number of times, but her only appearance during Shawn's lifetime was a lecture-demonstration in 1960. The company's official Pillow debut occurred in 1984 when Graham was 90 and still very active. The company has returned four times since, three week-long engagements in 1994, 2005, and 2013, plus a singular appearance at the 2003 Gala.

FESTIVAL FINALE - In honor of Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff's final season, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival celebrates the close of its 83rd season with a Festival Finale event on Saturday, August 29. Tickets for the Festival Finale include a performance by the legendary Martha Graham Dance Company in the Ted Shawn Theatre or the young and innovative MADBOOTS DANCE in the Doris Duke Theatre, and access to the after-party where guests can mingle with dancers, pay tribute to Baff, enjoy desserts by local restaurants and bakeries, and dance the night away with DJ BFG in the historic Bakalar Studio.

IF YOU GO:

Martha Graham Dance Company
Ted Shawn Theatre
Wednesday, August 26-Saturday, August 29 at 8pm
Thursday, August 27; Saturday, August 29 & Sunday, August 30 at 2pm

- Festival Finale Saturday, August 29 at 8pm. Tickets $75-$150. Includes a performance by Martha Graham Dance Company, plus the best after-party of the summer. Mingle with the dancers, pay tribute to Ella Baff, enjoy delicious desserts and drinks, and dance the night away with DJ BFG spinning live at the ultimate dance celebration.

- Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholar-in-Residence Nancy Wozny are offered in Blake's Barn 30 minutes before every performance.

- A Post-Show Q&A with members of Martha Graham Dance Company and Scholar-in-Residence Nancy Wozny will take place onstage on Friday, August 28.

- Tickets $45-$75. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob's Pillow Box Office. A limited number of $19 Under 35 Friday tickets are available for August 28; limit 2 per person, must be between the ages of 18 and 35.

- 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 theaters are handicapped accessible.

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.

Jacob's Pillow, celebrating its 83rd Festival in 2015, is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest-running international dance festival. Each Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 350 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, and events. 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, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than a century of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and an extensive schedule of free public events. Through Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion, a nationally-recognized program, Artist Educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; choreography commissions; and the annual $25,000 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award all support visionary dance artists and choreographers. Virtual Pillow is aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to experience dance and Jacob's Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and social media. As part of the Virtual Pillow initiative, Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive is a curated online video collection of dance highlights from 1936 to today. On March 2, 2011, President 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.

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