Jacob's Pillow Week Four
Doris Duke Theatre Repoens
By: Pillow - Jul 03, 2025
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Andrew Schneider and collaborators to present the world premiere of HERE in the Doris Duke Theatre from July 16-20, marking the first week-long performance run in the newly-opened venue, and the first time since 2019 that the summer dance festival has presented works in all three venues on its iconic site in the Berkshires. HERE is a piece commissioned by the Pillow that tells the story of a single space over eons, incorporating wireless in-ear technology and other audio elements while exploring themes of connection and storytelling.
Next door, in the historic Ted Shawn Theatre, The Sarasota Ballet will perform from July 16-20, in the company’s first appearance at Jacob’s Pillow since 2015. The company will present a mixed program featuring two works by Sir Frederick Ashton and a world premiere by American choreographer Jessica Lang, who has presented numerous other premieres at the Pillow. The Sarasota Ballet is known for its repertoire of works by Sir Frederick Ashton, the influential British choreographer who was a towering figure in 20th century ballet.
On the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage, Brother(hood) Dance! will perform Black on Earth, illuminating Black farmers’ resilience, wisdom, and cultural heritage (Wednesday, July 16 at 5:30pm). Making their Pillow debuts are VTDance, fusing movement, music, and storytelling (Thursday, July 17 at 5:30pm); and Red Clay Dance Company, an Afro-Contemporary company from Chicago known for their “Artivism” (Friday, July 18 at 5:30). Closing out the week of outdoor performances will be The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Performance Ensemble, featuring work by artist faculty and guest choreographers (Saturday, July 19 at 5:30pm).
A free PillowTalk will be held Saturday, July 19 at 4pm in Blake’s Barn with Iain Webb, artistic director of The Sarasota Ballet, who will share his thoughts and inspirations for animating ballet today. On Sunday, July 20, Jacob’s Pillow will host a Family Music & Dance program at 11am, followed by a free public tour of Jacob’s Garden at 12pm.
“It has been a decade since we hosted Sarasota Ballet in their widely-acclaimed Pillow debut, and we are thrilled that they are bringing not only iconic works by Frederick Ashton, but also a world premiere by Jessica Lang, a Pillow favorite,” said Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director at Jacob’s Pillow. “We are also excited to welcome Andrew Schneider, an artist who seamlessly weaves performance with innovative technologies, to premiere HERE as the first multi-night engagement in our beautiful new Doris Duke Theatre. And after inaugurating Jacob’s Garden with a memorable premiere in 2021, Brother(hood) Dance! is also making a notable return. The range of work on our stages this week is truly a hallmark of what we love to do here at the Pillow.”
All performances are now on sale. Tickets to The Sarasota Ballet begin at $65. Tickets to Andrew Schneider begin at $65. Tickets to all four outdoor engagements this week are Choose What You Pay, allowing ticket buyers to set the price of their purchase. Rain or Shine tickets, priced at $40 each, allow outdoor ticket holders access to an indoor venue at Jacob’s Pillow, which will host outdoor performances in the event of inclement weather.
THE SARASOTA BALLET
Beloved among ballet fans the world over, The Sarasota Ballet returns to Jacob’s Pillow for the first time in ten years. Pushed to new heights under the leadership of director Iain Webb, assistant director Margaret Barbieri (both formerly of The Royal Ballet), and executive director Joseph Volpe (formerly of the Metropolitan Opera), the company has garnered a reputation for its truly diverse repertoire of works.
This summer, the company returns to the Ted Shawn Theatre with a mixed program including Sir Frederick Ashton’s Dante Sonata (1940) and Birthday Offering (1956), and a world premiere by American choreographer Jessica Lang, the Virginia B. Toulmin & Muriel O’Neil Artist in Residence at Sarasota Ballet, who has presented three previous world premieres at Jacob’s Pillow with her own company, as well as two premieres by other companies.
The Sarasota Ballet is recognized for its unparalleled active repertoire of the choreography of Sir Frederick Ashton, and is known worldwide as the main exponent of his ballets outside of the United Kingdom. The company has presented an expansive range of over 180 ballets by acclaimed choreographers, including George Balanchine, Sir David Bintley, Gemma Bond, Sir Matthew Bourne, Michel Fokine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor, and Christopher Wheeldon. The company works to infuse their community and beyond with the highest quality and diversity of dance in America. According to The Guardian’s review of the company’s 2024 tribute to Sir Fredrick Ashton at The Royal Opera House: “the whole programme, danced with grace and care, is a history lesson and a delight.”
Watch a clip from The Sarasota Ballet on Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive:
The Sarasota Ballet, 2015: https://danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org/sarasota-ballet/monotones/
ANDREW SCHNEIDER
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Obie Award-winning performer, writer, and artist Andrew Schneider, whose “inventive” and “astounding” work in interactive electronics “continually finds new ways … to surprise and mystify us.” (The New York Times). In HERE, commissioned by the Pillow, Schneider joins a small group of dancers to tell the story of a single space over eons, in which innumerable lives, dreams, and travesties float through the present moment.
We know what it’s like to miss someone because they are not here, but what does it feel like to miss someone because they are not now? Inspired by concepts of simultaneity and quantum entanglement, and using wireless in-ear technology and spatialized audio, Schneider and company explore the limits of connection and storytelling through hyper-precise attention to synchronicities of bodies in space over time—both cosmic and mundane.
Schneider has created off-Broadway designs which include Dolphins and Sharks at the Labyrinth Theater, Small Mouth Sounds at Ars Nova and the Signature Theater, and Roosevelvis at the Vineyard Theater. He is a member of the arts incubator ONX in New York City, is a 2020 recipient of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award and a Sundance “Art of the Practice” fellow, and received a fellowship in 2022 from the Junge Akademie/Akademie Der Künste in Berlin. Schneider was a 2019 Professor of the Practice and Visiting Fellow in Theater Arts and Performance Studies through the Brown Arts Initiative at Brown University.
BROTHER(HOOD) DANCE!
Those who attended the opening of Jacob’s Garden in 2021 will remember Brother(hood) Dance!, a dynamic dance company that uses movement, agriculture, and technology to challenge norms and inspire social change. At the Pillow this summer, Brother(hood) Dance! will perform Black on Earth, a project that illuminates Black farmers’ resilience, wisdom, and cultural heritage while addressing the urgent issues of food justice and sustainable farming practices.
Founded by Orlando Zane Hunter Jr. and Ricarrdo Valentine, the company’s innovative work fuses the rhythms of the African diaspora with their research into sustainable agricultural practices, creating transformative experiences that connect people to the land, each other, and their shared histories. Their bold approach has earned them recognition as Bessie Award honorees in 2020.
VTDANCE
Vincent E. Thomas’s VTDance brings a bold, multi-dimensional approach to contemporary performance, blending dance, text, improvisation, and collaboration across artistic disciplines. With a keen sense of athleticism, wit, and emotional depth, VTDance crafts works that engage both heart and mind.
Thomas, an acclaimed choreographer and performer, has presented his work at national and international venues from New York to Scotland, Spain, France, and beyond. At the Pillow this summer, audiences can experience his signature fusion of movement, music, and storytelling—where gesture becomes poetry and every performance invites connection. Beyond the stage, Thomas is an educator who is deeply engaged in community work, and leads talks, master classes, and workshops with his signature athleticism and wit.
RED CLAY DANCE COMPANY
Chicago’s top Afro-Contemporary dance company lives to awaken “glocal” Artivism through creating, performing, and teaching dances of the African diaspora. This Black female-led company is an award-winning ensemble of versatile and dynamic dancers that tour and perform locally, nationally, and internationally, including at the National Theater of Uganda.
Now in its 16th year, the company is committed to taking their signature “Artivism in Motion” from the stage into learning environments, and sees community engagement as a vital part of the creative process and village-building work. In December, the company’s founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward was named Chicagoan of the Year in Dance by the Chicago Tribune.
THE SCHOOL AT JACOB’S PILLOW: CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE
Performances by The School at Jacob’s Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This performance is the culmination of a three-week Contemporary Program led by Program Director Milton Myers and Associate Program Director Francisco Martinez, featuring new works and repertoire by leading choreographers who also serve as Artist Faculty: Peter Chu, Andrea Miller, and Aszure Barton.
Dancers of The School at Jacob’s Pillow are apprentices, trainees, pre-professionals, and early-career professionals from around the world. The School’s professional advancement programs are held onsite during the Festival to nurture the artistic voices and growth of the dancers.
PERFORMANCE & TICKET DETAILS
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
The Sarasota Ballet
July 16-20; Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm
Ted Shawn Theatre | Tickets from $65
Andrew Schneider
July 16-20; Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8pm; Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30pm
Doris Duke Theatre | Tickets from $65
Brother(hood) Dance!
Wednesday, July 16 at 5:30pm
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
VTDance
Thursday, July 17 at 5:30pm
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
Red Clay Dance Company
Friday, July 18 at 5:30pm
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
The School at Jacob’s Pillow: Contemporary Performance Ensemble
Saturday, July 19 at 5:30pm
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
Livestream: Saturday, July 19 at 5:30pm
Encore Stream: Sunday, July 20 at 8pm through Monday, July 21 at 8pm
To learn more about our select Livestreams and Encore Streams, and to register to watch for free, visit jacobspillow.org/live
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
Morning Classes
July 15-18; Tuesday through Friday, 9-10am
Open to all dance experience levels, ages 16+. Offered weekly through the summer in Sommers Studio. $15 per class; $60 for 5 class card. Pay via online pre-registration or cash/card at the door.
- Ballet with Isadora Wolfe: Tuesdays through August 19
- Modern/Contemporary with Sayer Mansfield, Ryoko Kudo, Sarah Zehnder, and Barbie Diewald: Wednesdays through August 20
- West African Dance & Spiritual Well-Being with Truth Hunter, Tara Murphy, and Noel Staples-Freeman, with live drumming by Aimee Gelinas and Daniel Cohen: Thursdays through August 21
- Zumba® or The Quilombo Experience with Luana Dias David: Fridays through August 22
Fourth Annual Du Bois Forum Roundtable & Celebration at Jacob’s Pillow
Friday, July 18 at 4pm
Pillow Grounds
At this fourth-annual gathering of the Du Bois Forum at Jacob’s Pillow, leading writers and artists will reflect upon the intellectual and artistic traditions that W.E.B. Du Bois shaped and the urgency of this work in our current historical moment. The event will honor the inaugural Du Bois awardees, including former Governor and First Lady of Massachusetts Deval and Diane Patrick, Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch, and Executive Director of Embrace Boston Imari Paris Jeffries. In addition to the awards presentation, ticketed programming will include a roundtable featuring Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Thavolia Glymph, Elizabeth Hinton, Nathan Connolly, and Brandon Terry; a book reception with Du Bois Forum authors; an evening performance by Red Clay Dance Company; musical selections by singer/songwriter Candice Hoyes; and a Du Bois-inspired menu curated by James Beard award-winning chef Bryant Terry, author of Black Food. For more information, please contact duboisforum@tufts.edu.
PillowTalk: Iain Webb
Saturday, July 19 at 4pm
Blake’s Barn | FREE
Under Iain Webb’s leadership as artistic director, the Sarasota Ballet has performed over 185 ballets including 55 world premieres and 13 American premieres featuring choreographers such as Sir Frederick Ashton, Jessica Lang, Christopher Wheeldon, and Twyla Tharp. In this PillowTalk, Webb will share his thoughts and inspirations for animating ballet today.
Dance Workshop with Festival Artists: The Sarasota Ballet
Sunday, July 20, 10-11:30am
Open to all dance experience levels, ages 12+
Join Jessica Lang, The Sarasota Ballet’s Artist in Residence and frequent Jacob’s Pillow visiting artist, for a community workshop exploring Lang’s world premiere ballet repertoire. Participants can expect a ballet barre warm-up, followed by creative movement explorations, and culminating in learning an excerpt from Lang’s world premiere ballet presented by the company at the Ted Shawn Theatre. Wear comfortable dance attire; ballet shoes or socks recommended.
Family Music & Dance
Sunday, July 20, 11am-12pm
Sommers Studio | Registration required
Join Sandy Russell, a cherished teacher with over 20 years of experience in the Berkshires, for a taste of the Music Together® program. Her classes ignite children’s natural passion for music and movement. With active participation from parents and caregivers, regardless of musical expertise, everyone has fun. Through playful engagement in a stress-free environment, this class fosters music and movement connections between adults and children, aiming to infuse everyday family life with the joy of music-making. $25 per class, per family. Recommended for ages 6 and under. Class size will be limited to 12 families per event.
Public Tours of Jacob’s Garden
Sunday, July 20, 12pm-1pm
Meet at the Welcome Center | Free with suggested donation of $10-$20/person
A guided tour of the garden beds, apiary, rainwater harvesting system, and pollinator meadow will educate visitors on the plantings, practices, and stories that shape the space. Visitors can take part in a brief stretch and movement meditation led by Adam Weinert, and contribute to the garden’s health by turning the compost heap. Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes appropriate for dirt paths, grass, and uneven terrain. Meet at the Welcome Center before walking along George Carter Road.
FESTIVAL EXHIBITS & ARCHIVES – ONGOING
CONNECTING THROUGH TIME: 50 SEASONS WITH NORTON OWEN
Curated by Pillow alum Wendy Perron, American dancer and choreographer, dance historian, and former Editor-in-Chief of Dance Magazine, this exhibit celebrates Director of Preservation Norton Owen, who for fifty seasons has delved into the past to highlight the present and look toward the future. Blake’s Barn and the Norton Owen Reading Room; open Tue-Sun, noon through final curtain.
DANCING THE ALGORITHM
Curated by Katherine Helen Fisher, this exhibit features artists whose works illuminate how the dancing body doesn’t just adapt to technology, but shapes it, challenges it, and celebrates the new possibilities it creates. The exhibit includes Lamentation: Dancing the Archive, an installation inviting audiences to engage with a 360° film of Martha Graham’s iconic solo, created by Xin Ying with Katherine Helen Fisher, Alan Winslow, and Kate Ladenheim. This exhibit features the following artists: Memo Akten, Lauren Bedal, Shimmy Boyle, Mingyong Cheng, Kianí Del Valle, Entroplay (Armon Naeini), Katherine Helen Fisher, Nora Gibson, Hamill Industries (Pablo Barquin and Anna Diaz), David Wallace Haskins, Katie Peyton Hofstadter, KAMBARA+ (Yayoi Kambara), Kate Ladenheim, Operator (Ania Catherine and Dehja Ti), Daniel Sierra, Cameron Surh, Alan Winslow, and Xin Ying. The score for the interactive exhibit space is composed by Josh Kadish / Vviota. Doris Duke Theatre Gallery; Open Tue-Sun, noon through final curtain.
AILEY CONNECTIONS
With connections spanning more than seven decades, the Pillow and Alvin Ailey have been aligned in spirit since two of Ailey’s earliest works were performed here in 1954. Encompassing such Ailey icons as Carmen de Lavallade, James Truitte, and Judith Jamison, this exhibition curated by Norton Owen highlights some of the remarkable history that these two landmark dance institutions have shared. Ted Shawn Theatre Lobby; open Tue-Sun, noon through final curtain.
Jacob’s Pillow Archives/Norton Owen Reading Room
This spacious, informal library and reading room allows visitors to view videos, browse through books, access the Pillow's computer catalog, or peruse permanent collections of Pillow programs and photographs from the Archives. The Reading Room and new Special Collections Room also feature recent donations and more archival treasures from the Stephan Driscoll Collection. Blake’s Barn; open Tues.-Sun., noon through final curtain.
Online Exhibit: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive
This evolving online resource features breathtaking video highlights of Pillow performances from the early 1930s through today, with an expanded section of multimedia essays featuring talks, photos, and other exclusive content organized into various themes. danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org.