Ted Shawn News

Signature Theatre has announced the cast of WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Signature Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret). The musical, a collaboration of music, dance and theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, is considered by some to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. WEST SIDE STORY will run from December 8 - January 24 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

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.

On Friday, August 21, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival will host free activities for the public in participation with the 7th annual Free Fun Friday program, sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation. From 2:30-7pm, free activities will include all-ages, all-levels dance classes, kid-friendly tours of the Pillow, a free outdoor performance by the high-energy swing dance company The Hell's Kitchen Kilowatts, arts and crafts, story readings, and more on the historic Pillow grounds.

The Sarasota Ballet, acclaimed for their vitality, versatility, and elegance kicks off its 25th anniversary season with an exclusive seven-show Jacob's Pillow debut in the Ted Shawn Theatre, this weekend, August 12–16, including an added Thursday matinee at 2pm. The dynamic company performs Christopher Wheeldon's fluid, joyous ballet The American, set to the Dvorák quartet of the same name; Sir Frederick Ashton's celebrated, artful trios Monotones I and Monotones II; and a world premiere by resident choreographer and principal dancer Ricardo Graziano, set to music by Philip Glass.

The Sarasota Ballet, acclaimed for their vitality, versatility, and elegance kicks off its 25th anniversary season with an exclusive seven-show Jacob's Pillow debut in the Ted Shawn Theatre, August 12–16, including an added Thursday matinee at 2pm. The dynamic company performs Christopher Wheeldon's fluid, joyous ballet The American, set to the Dvorák quartet of the same name; Sir Frederick Ashton's celebrated, artful trios Monotones I and Monotones II; and a world premiere by resident choreographer and principal dancer Ricardo Graziano, set to music by Philip Glass.

A charismatic new force in contemporary dance, Havana-based Malpaso Dance Company comes to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival's intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, this weekend, August 5-9.

A charismatic new force in contemporary dance, Havana-based Malpaso Dance Company comes to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival's intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, August 5-9.

Following last season's popular BALLET 2014 engagement, New York City Ballet principal dancer Daniel Ulbricht returns with a topflight ensemble in remarkable works by a variety of acclaimed choreographers, performed to live music, this weekend, July 29-August 2 in the Ted Shawn Theatre.

Contemporary ballet company Jessica Lang Dance, led by founder, choreographer, and Artistic Director Jessica Lang, returns to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival for an extended two-week run of The Wanderer, July 29-August 9 in the Doris Duke Theatre.

Following last season's popular BALLET 2014 engagement, New York City Ballet principal dancer Daniel Ulbricht returns with a topflight ensemble in remarkable works by a variety of acclaimed choreographers, performed to live music, July 29-August 2 in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Principals, soloists, and corps de ballet members of New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet perform works by prominent artists including iconic American choreographer Jerome Robbins; New York City Ballet's current resident choreographer Justin Peck; Danish dancer, director, and choreographer Johan Kobborg; and Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who achieved both his choreographic start and widespread acclaim at New York City Ballet.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents the highly-anticipated world premiere of Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO, featuring the remarkable talent of eight American Ballet Theatre (ABT) stars and guest artist Céline Cassone of Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in the intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, today, July 22, through July 26.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents the highly-anticipated world premiere of Daniil Simkin's INTENSIO, featuring the remarkable talent of eight American Ballet Theatre (ABT) stars and guest artist Céline Cassone of Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal in the intimate Ted Shawn Theatre, July 22-26. INTENSIO, co-produced, directed by, and starring ABT principal dancer Daniil Simkin, features four world premiere contemporary dance works by top-notch international choreographers including Alexander Ekman of Sweden, American dancemaker Gregory Dolbashian, resident Boston Ballet choreographer Jorma Elo of Finland, and Colombo-Belgian artist Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, currently based in Amsterdam.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival with bold new ideas for contemporary ballet tonight, July 15, through July 19.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns to Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival with bold new ideas for contemporary ballet July 15-19.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival announces today that Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow, has accepted a new position as Senior Program Officer for Arts and Cultural Heritage at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York. An esteemed leader in the arts and cultural field, Baff has been at the helm of Jacob's Pillow, a National Historic Landmark, National Medal of Arts recipient, and home to America's longest running dance festival, for the past 17 years.

Following two sold-out engagements in both 2013 and 2014, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents tap sensation Dorrance Dance with famed singer/songwriter Toshi Reagon and her band BIGLovely in the return of The Blues Project, July 1-5 in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Founded in 2011 by Jacob's Pillow Dance Award recipient Michelle Dorrance, Dorrance Dance features some of today's best tap artists, performing alongside co-choreographers of The Blues Project Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards and Derick K. Grant. Award-winning musician and composer Toshi Reagon created the music for The Blues Project, which is performed live by Reagon and members of her band, BIGLovely, on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drums and percussion, and violin.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival opens its 83rd season with Canada's premier contemporary ballet company, Ballet BC, presenting a diverse program in the Ted Shawn Theatre, today, June 24, through June 28.

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival opens its 83rd season with Canada's premier contemporary ballet company, Ballet BC, presenting a diverse program in the Ted Shawn Theatre, June 24-28.

This month, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival presents Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host, a special pre-Festival performance starring Ira Glass, the host and executive producer of the famed public radio program This American Life. 'The Tina Fey of dance' (Sarah Kaufman, The Washington Post) Monica Bill Barnes and fellow dancer and collaborator Anna Bass perform with Glass, bringing the unlikely art forms of talk radio and dance together for a production that is 'unapologetically human and refreshingly relatable' (Brian Schaefer, The New York Times). This limited engagement will be presented in the Ted Shawn Theatre for two performances only, tonight, June 13 at 8pm and tomorrow, June 14 at 2pm.