Ruth St. Denis News

“A prolific choreographer of skillfully constructed dances that respectfully mesh with music and striking visual design” (The New Yorker), Jessica Lang and her company return to Jacob's Pillow for the ensemble's first Ted Shawn Theatre engagement, July 5-9. In addition to a Pillow-commissioned world premiere work, the program includes Lang's Thousand Yard Stare, a dance embodying the incredible pride and honor as well as the searing loss experienced by military veterans. The program will also include the East Coast and company premiere of Lang's Lyric Pieces as well as Solo Bach, Sweet Silent Thought, and The Calling. This season, the Pillow has formed a partnership with the Tanglewood Music Center, whereby Tanglewood Fellows and alumni will be providing the music accompaniment for this engagement.

Known for its "cutting-edge contemporary work" (Jason Vondersmith, The Portland Tribune), NW Dance Project makes its Jacob's Pillow debut, June 28-July 2 in the Doris Duke Theatre. Based in Portland, Oregon and led by former Royal Winnipeg Ballet principal dancer Sarah Slipper, the company is composed of a cast of classically-trained, versatile contemporary dancers. The program includes works by a range of accomplished choreographers and rising talents: Post-Traumatic-Monster by Felix Landerer, choreographer in residence for Scapino Ballet in the Netherlands; At Some Hour You Return by former Nederlands Dans Theater dancer Ji?i Pokorný; Le Fil Rouge by 2011 Sadler's Wells Global Dance Contest winner and NW Dance Project resident choreographer Ihsan Rustem; and MemoryHouse by Artistic Director Sarah Slipper.

The Deborah Zall Project will present a program of works by legendary modern dance choreographers Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow and Anna Sokolow, along with dances by Deborah Zall, May 12 & 13 at 8 PM at the Martha Graham Studio Theater, 55 Bethune St.   Zall has gathered an ensemble of artists, all former members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, to perform these timeless works that have been reconstructed by Abigail Blatt, Lynn Frielinghaus, Samantha Geracht, Martin Lofsnes, and Zall.

April 27-30, 2017 was a special limited engagement to celebrate the history and scope of Indian dance in America at the Theater at the 14th Street Y. The production is part of the a series of dances by the collective, From the Horse's Mouth, conceived and directed by Tina Croll and Jamie Cunningham. This particular program was curated by Rajika Puri- an internationally acclaimed Indian classical dancer. The show was dedicated to the late Balasaraswati- a celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer who was instrumental in making the South Indian classical dance style popular throughout different parts of India and around the world.

The 2017 Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival 2017, the first programmed exclusively by new Director Pamela Tatge, is full of exciting programming featuring world premieres, commissions, site-specific work, international artists, live music, and Pillow-exclusive engagements, all to celebrate a momentous 85th Anniversary Season. Running June 21-August 27, Festival 2017 includes more than 200 free events, performances, exhibits, and talks, as well as many new offerings and initiatives launched under Tatge's leadership. In keeping with the Jacob's Pillow mission to engage and educate the community through the depth and breadth of dance, the genres and styles presented as part of the 85th Anniversary Season are far-reaching and inclusive, encompassing modern, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, improvisation, flex, tap dance, step, Brazilian social dance, dance theater, traditional Native American, Bharatanatyam, musical theater dance, classical Cambodian, Latin ballroom, capoeira, and traditional Korean movement styles.

In celebration of the history and scope of Indian dance in America, From the Horse's Mouth will dedicate its next theater/dance performance event to this storied art form, including its early connections to Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Jack Cole, and the fascinating early Indian dancers in America Balasaraswati, Ragini Devi, Indrani, and many more. Live music will be included in this colorful tribute, curated by Rajika Puri, doyenne of Indian Dance in NYC.

The Deborah Zall Project will present a program of works by legendary modern dance choreographers Jane Dudley, Sophie Maslow and Anna Sokolow, along with dances by Deborah Zall, May 12 & 13 at 8 PM at the Martha Graham Studio Theater, 55 Bethune St. 

Jacob's Pillow Dance announces a major expansion of its popular curated online video collection, Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive. Beginning today, the site will feature a series of multimedia essays from renowned dance scholars on three distinct themes: Tap, Women in Dance, and Dance of the African Diaspora.

In celebration of the history and scope of Indian dance in America, From the Horse's Mouth will dedicate its next theater/dance performance event to this storied art form, including its early connections to Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Jack Cole, and the fascinating early Indian dancers in America Balasaraswati, Ragini Devi, Indrani, and many more. Live music will be included in this colorful tribute, curated by Rajika Puri, doyenne of Indian Dance in NYC.

Dixon Place ((Ellie Covan, Founding & Artistic Director) is pleased to announce their new dance theatre commission Wonder/Through the Looking Glass Houses, by acclaimed transgender performance artist, choreographer and storyteller Arrie Davidson for six performances only beginning Today, December 2nd at 7:30. This production marks the first full-length work by her socially progressive company KineticArchitecture Dance Theatre.  Wonder/Through the Looking Glass Houses, will be performed on December 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th 16th and 17th at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street). Tickets are $19 in advance, $22 at the door, and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dixonplace.org or by calling 866-811-411.

Join host Christine Jowers,  Editor of The Dance Enthusiast and Caribbean artists, Candace Thompson (Trinidad & Tobago), Nelida Tirado (Puerto Rico), Nadia Dieudonne (Haiti), and  Davalois Fearon (Jamaica) for a stellar evening of performance & conversation as they introduce us to a one-of-a kind insider experience into the beauty and complexity of Caribbean culture and performance. 

Join host Christine Jowers,  Editor of The Dance Enthusiast and Caribbean artists, Candace Thompson (Trinidad & Tobago), Nelida Tirado (Puerto Rico), Nadia Dieudonne (Haiti), and  Davalois Fearon (Jamaica) for a stellar evening of performance & conversation as they introduce us to a one-of-a kind insider experience into the beauty and complexity of Caribbean culture and performance. 

Dixon Place ((Ellie Covan, Founding & Artistic Director) is pleased to announce their new dance theatre commission Wonder/Through the Looking Glass Houses, by acclaimed transgender performance artist, choreographer and storyteller Arrie Davidson for six performances only beginning Friday, December 2nd at 7:30. This production marks the first full-length work by her socially progressive company KineticArchitecture Dance Theatre.  Wonder/Through the Looking Glass Houses, will be performed on December 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th 16th and 17th at Dixon Place (161A Chrystie Street). Tickets are $19 in advance, $22 at the door, and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.dixonplace.org or by calling 866-811-411.

After four successful Enthusiastic Events!, The Dance Enthusiast is thrilled to announce the 5th Enthusiastic Events! event:  Dance: Island to Island-Moving Caribbean in New York City, Wednesday November 16, 6:15 PM to 9 (nibblies before and after; performance at 7 PM) at Gibney Dance, 280 Broadway (entrance at 53A Chambers Street).   Enthusiastic Events! is proud to partner with PANK Elephant Catering, who will be providing tasty delicacies from all over the Caribbean chain.   The event follows four successful previous Enthusiastic Events! in which The Dance Enthusiast celebrated the relationship of dance to other important fields: the world of design and fashion, the world of empowing thought and action, the world of visual art and, most recently, the landscape of dance on Broadway versus concert dance versus Reality TV.   

In their first official engagement, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely in The Blues Project, October 5 and 6, 2016 for two performances in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer, and 2015 MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner Michelle Dorrance and renowned versatile singer, songwriter, and guitarist Toshi Reagon combine their energetic ensembles for a dynamic collaboration honoring tap's uniquely beautiful history by pushing the boundaries of the genre. 

In their first official engagement, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents Dorrance Dance with Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely in The Blues Project, October 5 and 6, 2016 for two performances in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater. Acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer, and 2015 MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner Michelle Dorrance and renowned versatile singer, songwriter, and guitarist Toshi Reagon combine their energetic ensembles for a dynamic collaboration honoring tap's uniquely beautiful history by pushing the boundaries of the genre. 

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival brings FLEXN, an electrifying street dance to the Ted Shawn Theatre stage, August 17-20. Created by flex dance pioneer Reggie (Regg Roc) Gray with visionary theatre and opera director Peter Sellars, FLEXN confronts today's complicated social justice issues by combining raw personal perspectives with powerful and provocative movement. In order to contextualize the topics addressed in the performance, the show will open with an onstage panel discussion with artists and community leaders debating the current socio-political climate and its impact on Berkshire County.

Hubbard Street 2, the young second company of the world-renowned Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, will present Mariko's Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure for their Jacob's Pillow debut, in the Doris Duke Theatre, tonight, July 13-17.

Hubbard Street 2, the young second company of the world-renowned Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, will present Mariko's Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure for their Jacob's Pillow debut, in the Doris Duke Theatre, July 13-17.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents the world premiere engagement of And Still You Must Swing with three of the world's most celebrated tap dance luminaries—Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, Jason Samuels Smith, and Derick K. Grant—July    6-10 in the intimate Doris Duke Theatre. The program embraces masterful technique, musicality, and improvisation including a live onstage band and a star-studded cast with critically-acclaimed guest artist and 2016 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award recipient Camille A. Brown.