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Jacob’s Pillow schedule for 2009 season

Free observations and showings at The School at Jacob’s Pillow; photo Ben Rudick

Here are details of the Aug. 12 – 23, 2009 schedule for the Ted Shawn Theatre at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, plus general information and ongoing activities.

Doug Varone and Dancers – Ted Shawn Theatre – Aug. 12 – 16

  • Doug Varone and Dancers perform a program that includes Lux, set to Philip Glass’ The Light.
  • Wednesday, August 12 through Saturday, August 15, 8pm.
  • Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2pm.
  • Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered at Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
  • Thursday, August 13, performers or artistic personnel from Doug Varone and Dancers will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk, on stage immediately following the performance.
  • Tickets are $58 each, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under.
  • Box Office hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 6pm.
  • To purchase by phone, call the Box Office at 413.243.0745.
  • Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x24.

Free Events at the Pillow August 12 – 16

Free PillowTalks in Blake’s Barn: What’s Fair is Fair, Wednesday, August 12 at 5pm. The Dance Heritage Coalition has been working for more than a year to determine what constitutes Fair Use of dance imagery. Washington College of Law Professor Peter Jaszi, a leader of this effort, shares what he has learned. On Saturday, August 15 at 4pm, choreographer Doug Varone reflects on what it means to make art in today’s complicated world. In Doug Varone: The Artist as Citizen, he shares his experiences using movement to tackle important societal issues.

Free Inside/Out performances at Jacob’s Pillow

Free Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday, August 12, Kyle Abraham uses provocative movement and music to create an emotionally raw dance experience. His company, Abraham.In.Motion, performs Brick, an examination of spiritual foundations and black identity. Thursday, August 13, Solas an Lae (“Light of Day”) presents the precision of traditional Irish dance with athletic movement and lyrical choreography. According to The Irish Echo, this company “will change the way we think of Irish dance.” Friday, August 14, New York City-based VIA Dance Collaborative present Lullaby in Surrealism by Adrienne Westwood. Westwood, an alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, created the piece with inspiration by the dream-like paintings of Renee Magritte. Saturday, August 15, The School at Jacob’s Pillow—Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, presents works by Chet Walker and guest performer/choreographer Dana Moore, a veteran Fosse dancer who most recently appeared on Broadway in Chicago. This performance marks the end of the students’ second week of study under Walker’s direction.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

  • Wednesday, August 19 through Saturday, August 22, 8pm.
  • Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23, 2pm.
  • Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered at Blake’s Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
  • Thursday, August 20, artistic personnel from Pacific Northwest Ballet will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk, on stage immediately following the performance.
  • Tickets are $58 each, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under. $10 Youth Matinée tickets for the Saturday matinee (must be accompanied by an adult).

Free Events at Jacob’s Pillow August 19-23

Free PillowTalks in Blake’s Barn: The Return of Ulysses, Wednesday, August 19 at 5pm, Peter Boal joins author and scholar Thomas DeFrantz to discuss the legacy of late choreographer Ulysses Dove. On Saturday, August 22 at 4pm, filmmaker Anne Bass tells the extraordinary story of a Cambodian dancer who travels to America to train at the School of American Ballet and ultimately perform with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Dancing Across Borders.

Free Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday, August 19 Dr. Janaki Rangarajan performs traditional Bharatanatyam. Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre performs Thursday, August 20, examining the relationship between east and west through the choreography of Samar Haddad King. With dancers described as “artistic voices playing with the limitless possibilities of movement,” Thodos Dance Chicago travels to the Pillow on Friday, August 21. On Saturday, August 22 the students of the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program at The School at Jacob’s Pillow will culminate three weeks of professional study under the direction of Fosse co-conceiver Chet Walker.

Free Exhibits at Jacob’s Pillow

Ongoing Free Exhibits include: In Blake’s Barn, A Dance to Jules Feiffer, an exclusive exhibition created for and debuting at Jacob’s Pillow that focuses on the dance imagery of renowned cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jules Feiffer, and Alvin Ailey: Anniversary Salute which celebrates the 50th anniversary season of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with rare photographs by John Lindquist and John Van Lund. In the Ted Shawn Theatre lobby, The Art of Merce Cunningham, a tribute to Cunningham that documents his collaborations with distinctive visual artists with costumes, sketches, posters, and other artifacts from the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Archives. Outsiders, a selection of open-air images of dance at the Pillow including classics by John Lindquist and John Van Lund, in Bakalar Studio, and Tap!, a photography exhibit featuring acclaimed artists such as Jimmy Slyde, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, and others, in the Doris Duke Theatre Lobby.

Dance Opportunities at Jacob’s Pillow

Morning Jumpstart Classes offered in Pilates, Ballet, Modern, and more, Mondays through Fridays at 8am. All experience levels, 16 and older, $8 per class, Ruth St. Denis Studio. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x17.

Weekly Master Classes are led by Festival artists Sundays at 10:30am to noon for intermediate and advanced dancers, $15 per class. Pre-registration is required; quiet observation is welcome at no charge. Call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919 x17.

The School at Jacob’s Pillow is open to public observation Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9am–5pm, featuring world renowned faculty at no charge. Interested groups of four or more should confirm space availability by calling 413.243.9919 x17.

Dining at Jacob’s Pillow

The Pillow Café offers fine dining with wine service under the tent on The Great Lawn. Wednesdays through Saturdays, dinner is served 5–7pm. Reservations are required, call 413.243.2455. The Pillow Pub offers casual family fare, takeout for picnics, and full bar service. Wednesdays through Fridays 5pm–midnight, Saturdays noon–midnight, and Sundays noon–5pm. The Coffee Bar and Ice Cream Bar are open pre-performance and during intermissions. Pillow Patrons are also invited to bring picnics and relax at one of many choice picnic spots on the Pillow grounds.

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