The 2013 season schedule at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival opens with Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) in the Ted Shawn Theatre June 19-23. Led by founding member and former principal dancer, Artistic Director Virginia Johnson, the company will present a range of classic and new ballet work including George Balanchine’s Agon, The Lark Ascending by Alvin Ailey, and Far But Close by Canadian contemporary choreographer John Alleyne.

The company performs three neo-classical and contemporary ballet works that span multiple eras of American and dance history. George Balanchine’s Agon is a challenging work for 12 dancers, and features an iconic pas de deux originally created in 1957 for DTH founder Arthur Mitchell and ballerina Diana Adams as members of New York City Ballet. Created in in collaboration with composer Igor Stravinsky, Agon is one of Balanchine’s most notable ballets. In an article reflecting on Agon’s 50th anniversary, Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times called the work “astounding, full of shapes, phrases, rhythms, sounds that hadn’t been encountered before, but embodied New York modernism itself.”

Alvin Ailey’s The Lark Ascending (1972) is set to an eponymous score by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams created for violin and orchestra in 1920. While the music is inspired by the English countryside of Vaughan Williams’ youth, Ailey’s choreographic interpretation is a depiction of a young girl’s maturation to young womanhood. As part of the American Masterpieces program of the National Endowment for the Arts, DTH received a grant to help reconstruct The Lark Ascending for inclusion in the repertoire of its revived professional company. One of the most balletic of Ailey’s creations, DTH is the first American company to perform the work sur les pointes.

Far But Close (2012) is a narrative work by Canadian choreographer John Alleyne, with spoken word poetry by award-winning actor, singer, and writer Daniel Beaty and music by composer and violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain. In addition to commissioned works for major orchestras, Roumain has collaborated with Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones (with whom he performed at Jacob’s Pillow), Savion Glover, and Lady Gaga. Commissioned by DTH and based on a short spoken word play conceived and written by Beaty, this modern day ballet tells the story of a young man and woman who meet on the subway and their journey toward trust. Alleyne’s work has previously been performed at Jacob’s Pillow in DTH’s last appearance here in 1997, and by Ballet British Columbia (the company now known as Ballet BC who returns July 17-21).

The dancers of DTH come from a variety of backgrounds including Dance Theatre of Harlem School, American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, School Pacific Northwest Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Boston Ballet, and The Ailey School. Michaela DePrince, the company’s youngest member, was recently featured in the documentary First Position, which will be shown at the Pillow’s Member Appreciation Film Event on June 9.

In addition to the six performances, a DTH-related PillowTalk on Saturday, June 22 at 4pm will feature excerpts from the company’s film and television appearances with commentary by artistic director Virginia Johnson. This programming serves as part of the Lift Ev’ry Voice Festival, a celebration of African American culture and heritage in the Berkshires, which kicks-off June 19 at Jacob’s Pillow. Correlated events continue throughout Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. For a full listing visit: http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/2013/06/lift-evry-voice-festival/

Dance Theatre of Harlem – Ted Shawn Theatre – schedule and tickets

Wednesday, June 19 through Saturday June 22 at 8pm
Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 at 2pm

Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered in Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
A Post-Show Q&A with DTH Artistic Director Virginia Johnson and Pillow Scholar Maura Keefe will take place onstage on Friday, June 21.
Tickets $39-$75. Now on sale online at jacobspillow.org, via phone at 413.243.0745, or in person at the Jacob’s Pillow Box Office. Under 35 Friday Tickets are available for $19 on Friday, June 21 (ages 18–35), two per person, must show I.D. when picking up tickets. $10 Youth Tickets, sponsored by ALEX®, are available for Friday, June 21 at 8pm and Sunday, June 23 at 2pm (must be accompanied by an adult ticket). Under 35 Fridays Tickets and Youth Tickets are available by phone and in person only.
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 theatres are handicapped-accessible.

Jacob’s Pillow schedule June 19-23, 2012 – Free events

Lift Ev’ry Voice Festival Kick Off
Wednesday, June 19 through June 23, 2013
A celebration of African American culture and history in the Berkshires kicks off with DTH at the Pillow with dancer meet-and-greets, open rehearsals, free classes, and family-friendly events. Sampling of events marked in red below. For full event listing visit: http://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/2013/06/lift-evry-voice-festival/

Guided Tour – African American History at Jacob’s Pillow – Lift Ev’ry Voice Event
Wednesday, June 19, 4:30pm
Director of Preservation Norton Owen will lead a guided tour of the Pillow’s National Historic Landmark grounds, highlighting deep historic and cultural connections with African-American artists and community. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: Jamal Jackson Dance Company – Lift Ev’ry Voice Event
Wednesday, June 19, 6:15pm
Jamal Jackson Dance Company (JJDC) founded in 2004, combines traditional African dance with contemporary movement to create energetic, engaging, and aesthetically-pleasing performances that challenge audiences to investigate the balance between individuality and group acceptance. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: Oyo Oro Afro-Cuban Dance Ensemble – Lift Ev’ry Voice Event
Thursday, June 20 at 6:15pm
Oyu Oro, founded and directed by an internationally renowned folklore artist Danys “La Mora” Pérez, is committed to the preservation of Afro-Cuban culture through dance, song, and music. Their repertoire pays tribute to Latin-Caribbean and African cultural lineages derived from the Yoruba, Congo, Carabali, Arará, and Dhomean cultures of West Africa and Haiti. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: inDANCE
Friday, June 21 at 6:15pm
inDANCE presents two iconoclastic works adapted for the Inside/Out series. Artistic director Hari Krishnan performs The Frog Princess, a tour-de-force Bharatanatyam solo. Dancers Paul Charbonneau, Benjamin Landsberg, and Hiroshi Miyamoto perform an excerpt from I, Cyclops, a postmodern, pan-Asian work. FREE

PillowTalk – Dance Theatre of Harlem Onscreen – Lift Ev’ry Voice Event
Saturday, June 22, 4pm
A celebration of some Dance Theatre of Harlem’s most memorable films, from Creole Giselle to Gabrielle Lamb’s short feature about the current company, with commentary from Artistic Director Virginia Johnson. FREE

Inside/Out Performance: The School at Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program
Saturday, June 22 at 6:15pm
To conclude their study in the Ballet Program, dancers of The School at Jacob’s Pillow present classical ballet variations coached by Program Director Anna-Marie Holmes and a new work by Helen Pickett that will have its premiere performance by the dancers at the June 15 Gala. FREE

Shooting Stars Photography Exhibit
Blake’s Barn at Jacob’s Pillow
Open June 19 – Aug 25
Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 10pm, Tuesday and Sunday, noon to 6pm
To experience dance through the eyes of other dancers is a rare treat, and this exhibit encompasses uncommon sights and vantage points, photos taken by professional dancers, that will be totally new to most viewers. New York City Ballet star Wendy Whelan reveals what goes on in the dressing rooms of New York City Ballet while Miguel Anaya shares his backstage view from last season’s production From the Horse’s Mouth: The Men Dancers, and much more. FREE

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Archives
Blake’s Barn at Jacob’s Pillow
Open June 19 – Aug 25
Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 10pm, Tuesday and Sunday, noon to 6pm
This informal library and reading room allows Pillow visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow’s computer catalog, or peruse permanent collections of Pillow programs and photographs. Pillow Interactive, the popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s, and the Dance Heritage Coalition’s new Secure Media Network features videos from other archives throughout the country. FREE

Contact info. and Directions to Jacob’s Pillow

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• 358 George Carter Road
• Becket, MA 01223
• Phone: 413.243.9919
• Web: jacobspillow.org

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