Gallim Dance returns to Jacob’s Pillow, where they made their local debut in 2008, to present Andrea Miller’s Blush, a dance of layered intensity that moves from delicate, probing gestures to a full-throttle revolt against the confines of its own space. Artistic Director Miller danced with Ohad Naharin’s Ensemble Batsheva before forming her own company in 2006. The company will also perform excerpts of Miller’s I Can See Myself in Your Pupil as part of the Pillow’s exclusive Season Opening Gala program on June 20.
Performance and Ticket Information – Free Events at the Pillow July 8 – 12
Episodic in structure, Blush’s chapters are distinguished by a shifting array of movement tones and designs. Dancers shoot intricate, sequential ripples through their joints and in the next moment quake with stutters. Human connections, when found, are fleeting, tender, and complicated. The climax-at full-tilt energy -leads to a frenzied circling of the stage. Metro New York says the work “displays an almost painterly command of movement.” Andrea Miller’s choreographic attention to detail is evident in the score of the work as well as its movement. Blush is set to a wide assortment of alternately dense and spare tunes, including compositions by M.I.A., Radiohead, Joy Division, Wolf Parade, and Chopin. Roslyn Sulcas of The New York Times writes that Blush “features a highly physical movement style that buckles torsos and lashes limbs in exhilaratingly illogical fashion.”
In 2006, Miller established Gallim Dance (“waves” in Hebrew) with dancer Francesca Romo. She is the winner of the Hubbard Street 2 Choreographic Competition, a recipient of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council MCAF Grant, and a former Stella Adler Studio of Acting Artist in Residence. Her dances have been performed in the United States, Canada, and Israel; recent commissions include Zenon Dance Company in Minnesota, Repertory Dance Theater in Utah, and Arts Umbrella in Vancouver. Dance Magazine named Miller one of “25 to Watch” in January 2009, and she will serve as Resident Choreographer for North Netherlands Dance in Groningen, Holland from 2009 to 2011. As one of his first acts as Ballet Hispanico’s new Artistic Director, Eduardo Vilaro commissioned a new work from Miller.
Performance and Ticket Information
Wednesday, July 8 through Saturday, July 11, at 8:15pm.
Saturday, July 11, at 2:15pm
Sunday, July 12, at 5pm
· Tickets are $33, with discounts available for subscribers, seniors, students, and children age 16 and under. To sign up for Student Rush Ticket alerts, email info@jacobspillow.org.
· Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob’s Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered on the Doris Duke Theatre porch 30 minutes before every performance.
· Friday, July 10, Gallim Dance performers and/or artistic personnel will participate in a moderated Post-Show Talk, on stage immediately following the performance.
· Box Office hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am – 6pm, and Sunday 11am – 6pm.
· To purchase, call the Box Office at 413.243.0745 or order online at www.jacobspillow.org.
· Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x24.
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.
Free Events at the Pillow July 8 – 12
PillowTalks in Blake’s Barn: Previewing a World Premiere, Wednesday, July 8 at 5pm. Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, composer Szymon Brzóska, and company director Benoit-Swan Pouffer converse about creating the choreography and music for Orbo Novo, a brand-new work for the dancers of the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet set to premiere at the Pillow, July 8. On Saturday, July 11 at 4pm, Robert Gottlieb, former editor of The New Yorker, will discuss his new anthology of dance literature, Reading Dance. He will also participate in a book-signing after the talk.
Inside/Out performances at 6:30pm: Wednesday, July 8, Parul Shah and Dancers look to Kathak to explore Hindu traditions through contemporary movement with grace, fluidity and speed. Thursday, July 9, the American Ballroom Theater Youth Dance Company, an offshoot of American Ballroom Theater’s Dancing Classrooms, performs a wide variety of ballroom dance. Teachers and students involved in the company were featured in Mad Hot Ballroom, the popular 2005 documentary. Friday, July 10, contemporary company Adele Myers & Dancers blends theatricality, athleticism and social commentary, drawing audiences into what The Village Voice calls “a rich little world.” An alumna of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Adele Myers presents Is That All There Is, an autobiographical work that employs popular culture and humor to comment on modern day motherhood. Saturday, July 11, brings a performance by the students of The School at Jacob’s Pillow—Cultural Traditions: The Hip-Hop Continuum. Students end their intensive professional training at The School by presenting works by Tony “Ynot” DeNaro, Cachet Ivey and hip-hop legend Mr. Wiggles under the direction of Rennie Harris.
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’s 90th birthday 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.
Activities at Jacob’s Pillow
The Archives at Jacob’s Pillow allows impromptu visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow’s computer catalog, or peruse permanent collections of Pillow programs and photographs. Pillow Interactive, a popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant interlinked access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s.
Patrons are always welcome to explore the historic grounds to discover all the reasons why the Pillow was named a National Historic Landmark, with Guided Tours leaving from the Welcome Center every Friday and Saturday at 5:30pm. Self-guided tour maps are always available as well.
Visitors can also relax in the historic Tea Garden, where Ted Shawn’s Men Dancers welcomed the first Pillow audiences in the 1930s, as they peek into the Bakalar Studio to watch rehearsals; or stroll through several ecological zones on the Wetlands Trail, created as part of the Pillow’s responsible stewardship of its 163 acres of rural environment.
Dance Opportunities
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 – 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.
Sample menus for each dining venue are available at www.jacobspillow.org. Pillow Patrons are also invited to bring picnics and relax at one of many choice picnic spots on the Pillow grounds.