Berkshire Pulse Choreographers Will Present Intergenerational Performances at Chesterwood

 Berkshire Pulse, South County’s dynamic dance and performing arts education center located in the heart of Housatonic, is presenting Spirits of Chesterwood, an intergenerational dance project, at Chesterwood, the historic home, studio, and gardens of sculptor Daniel Chester French (1850-1931), on August 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th at 5:30 pm, Williamsville Road, Stockbridge, Mass. The rain date for any of the performances will be on Sunday, August 18th. Tickets are available at www.chesterwood.org/arts-alive-2024 or by calling 413-298-2023.

Spirits of Chesterwood is an intergenerational dance project created by 6 local choreographers in the Berkshire Pulse community. This roving, site-specific performance will be presented as a part of Chesterwood’s Arts Alive! series.

“We are so grateful to continue our partnership with Chesterwood for this annual event,” says Berkshire Pulse Founder & Artistic Director, Bettina Montano, “always inspiring, Chesterwood is a place that truly values the arts, offering unique opportunities for creativity to unfold and flourish.  

The Arts Alive! series began during the pandemic, and Berkshire Pulse has participated every year. 

“We’re always looking forward to our Spirits of Chesterwood season at Pulse” says Berkshire Pulse Community & In School Program Manager Veronica Bone, “Beauty abounds in a place like Chesterwood, and creating a dance feels like the easiest, most natural thing to do. I’m grateful for the inspiration I’ve felt in this place and in having such a solid partnership with Chesterwood.”  

Each choreographic work honors Daniel Chester French's appreciation for the natural and peaceful beauty of the landscape, and many of the works are based on historic photographs of people, places, and captured moments on the Chesterwood grounds. Chesterwood’s Curatorial Researcher and Collections Coordinator, Dana Pilson, helped gather historical research on how the spaces were used and by whom. Spirits of Chesterwood will celebrate the joy of dance by connecting local artists of all ages with sites of historic and natural significance in the Berkshires. 

Beginning along the curved entrance path, the performance will include choreography from Fern Katz and Ricardo Paz, Bettina Montano, Gillian Ebersole and Shannon Nulf, and Veronica Bone 

During this performance, audience members will move along the grounds at Chesterwood to four separate 7-10 minute performances over the course of 1 hour. Chair seating is available at each performance location, and there is ample room for standing or sitting on the ground for those who are able. Docents will guide the audience. Wheelchair-accessible route available. For accessibility and accommodation questions, please contact Pulse at berkshire.pulse@gmail.com or 413-274-6624.

This event is made possible by the generosity of Chesterwood’s Arts Alive! Sponsors, as well as the Stockbridge Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, and Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP).

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