Jacobs Pillow Dance Welcomes Aspen Santa Fe Ballet 8/17-21

One of America's leading contemporary ballet companies and a Jacob's Pillow audience favorite, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) returns to perform a sophisticated program with live music August 17-21. The nationally acclaimed company, dually-based in Aspen, CO, and Santa Fe, NM, commissions and performs work from international choreographers, and has become a leader in developing dance repertory. Dance Magazine hails Aspen Santa Fe Ballet as "a company to be reckoned with," and Jennifer Dunning with The New York Times states, "They raise the bar, and then they jump over it." Three works will be presented at the Pillow, including Uneven, danced to live onstage cello music, Ji?í Kylián's energetic Stamping Ground, and Red Sweet, which The Chicago Tribune's Sid Smith calls "a real stunner" that is "deliciously tweaking classic form with infinite jest throughout."

"Audiences adore this company. They've built an avid following at the Pillow and nationally - and for good reason," comments Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow. "Top international choreographers create new dance work that no other company performs, and each dance shows off the unique qualities of this beautiful ensemble of artists."
Spanish choreographer Cayetano Soto's 2010 work Uneven features eight dancers who combine evocative fluidity with sharp geometric lines. Soto is renowned for his diverse work with companies including the Ballet of the Staatstheater Braunschweig, the Ballet da Cidade in Sao Paulo, the Augsburg Ballet, Dortmund Ballet, and the Royal Ballet of Flanders. In Uneven, created on ASFB, he explores the individual attributes of each dancer through frequent solos and duets. Between dance phrases Soto interjects pauses into the movement that find dancers in untraditional poses. Soto states, "Everything in Uneven is uneven. There are five men and three women, the floor is uneven on the stage, the music is uneven, even the costumes. Nothing has to make sense to make sense."

Uneven is set to music by Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang. Lang's work has been performed by the Santa Fe Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, and the Boston Symphony; used in Theater Productions in New York, San Francisco, and London; and has been featured in dance works by Twyla Tharp, La La La Human Steps, and the Paris Opera Ballet. He is also co-founder and co-Artistic Director of the legendary music collective Bang on a Can. At Jacob's Pillow, Lang's driving score combines a live on-stage performance by cellist Kimberly Patterson with a recorded soundtrack. Patterson has been principal cellist with UBS Verbier Orchestra, the Juilliard Orchestra, and Aspen Sinfonia Orchestra; and has performed with the Miyazaki Orchestra in Japan. She is currently the cellist for the Tesla Quartet.

The powerful 1983 work Stamping Ground was created by Ji?í Kylián, one of the world's leading choreographers. He was Artistic Director of the Nederlands Dans Theater for 20 years and is currently their Resident Choreographer. In 1980, Kylián was invited to a gathering in the tribal lands of Northern Australia to help record what remained of their traditional dances, and Stamping Ground arose out of that experience. Although it is not a direct attempt to recreate Aboriginal dance, the work was inspired by Aboriginal culture. Kylián explains that he has "a particular admiration for Aboriginal dance, because of its beauty, reality, expressiveness, and importance in life and society."

The choreography for Stamping Ground is strong and purposeful, morphing from sharp movement to rhythmic, fluid phrases. The work is set to the percussive music of Carlos Chávez, a Mexican composer, conductor, music theorist, journalist, and founder and director of the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra. The costumes for Stamping Ground were designed by Heidi de Raad, who was Head of the Costume Department at Nederlands Dans Theater from 1975 to 1989. She also has worked extensively with Kylián, as well as the Cullberg Ballet, Washington Ballet, Phoenix Dance Company, Introdans, and others.

Red Sweet was choreographed by Finnish-born Jorma Elo in 2008 and is often called ASFB's signature work. Elo is currently the Boston Ballet's Resident Choreographer and was singled out as a "talent to follow" by Anna Kisselgoff in her 2004 Year in Review for The New York Times. Elo has received commissions from Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Basel Ballet, Houston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Stockholm 59° North, Alberta Ballet, Staatstheater Nurnberg, and Ballet X.

Carmel Morgan with Ballet~Dance Magazine exclaims, "The eight ASFB dancers in Red Sweet soared like acrobats, plunged like synchronized swimmers, and pranced like gazelles. Women leapt into the arms of their partners, then hung upside down in a swan dive pose, with faces beaming. While held aloft, their long legs continued to elegantly step through the air."

This engaging choreography pulls from classical ballet and elements of hip-hop such as robotics. Kyle MacMillan with The Denver Post describes it as a work offering "the kinds of interweaving lines and formations one might find in Balanchine, though always with Elo's updated, quirky touches."

Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, ASFB and the Aspen Ballet School were founded by Bebe Schweppe. Upon Schweppe's invitation, Jean-Philippe Malaty and Tom Mossbrucker assisted in the creation of the professional dance company based in Aspen, CO. After making an agreement with a presenting organization in Santa Fe, NM, the company changed its name to Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and calls each city its home. The combination of these two home cities, each known for the depth and breadth of its artistic community, creates a unique partnership and lends a strong dance presence in each area. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet made its Jacob's Pillow debut in 2003, and this engagement marks the company's fourth Pillow appearance.
Since its inauguration, ASFB has quickly established itself as one of America's leading contemporary dance companies. Pulitzer Prize winning dance critic Sarah Kaufman with The Washington Post states that ASFB takes "hold of your heart and never let[s] go."

ASFB made its international debut in 2004 in St. Sauveur, Canada, and Biarritz and Arcachon, France. Their repertoire includes works by renowned choreographers such as David Parsons, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Trey McIntyre, Lar Lubovitch, and Twyla Tharp.

Clive Barnes with The New York Post states, "It's a class act, a classic act, and an extraordinarily engaging act: it's the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet...the company has...pulsating energy." Laura Bleiberg with The Orange County Register affirms, "This is a company with classical dance as a base, but with the stylistic heart of a chameleon."

Executive Director Jean-Philippe Malaty was born in France and studied at Europe's prestigious Mudra, Maurice Béjart's School in Brussels, and John Cranko's Ballet School in Stuttgart. Malaty traveled to America to study at the David Howard Dance Center at the invitation of David Howard before becoming involved in the establishment of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Artistic Director Tom Mossbrucker was one of The Joffrey Ballet's most celebrated dancers. Together, Malaty and Mossbrucker make a significant effort to reach children through the art of dance through different initiatives including education outreach programs in Aspen and Santa Fe. Susanna Carlisle with THE Magazine praises their initiative as she states, "Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is fearless in its commitment to advancing contemporary works by promising young artists. This commitment is a great gift to our community because it permits us to experience dance as art, not as entertainment."

Performance and Ticket Information

Ted Shawn Theatre
Wednesday, August 17 through Saturday, August 20 at 8pm
Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 21 at 2pm
Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered in Blake's Barn 30 minutes before every performance.
Tickets $59.50-64.50. 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 Fridays: As part of the Pillow's younger audiences initiative: $35 under 35 tickets (for individuals 35 and younger) are available for the Friday evening performance of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Limit two (2) per person, must show valid I.D. when tickets are picked up. Under 35 ticket holders will also receive a bonus gift from Under 35 Fridays sponsor Blue Q.
Box Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 10am-6pm, Wednesday through Saturday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 12pm-5:30pm.

Pillow Members receive exclusive benefits. To become a Member call 413.243.9919 x125.

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 August 17-21

Free Inside/Out Performance - Zehnder Dance
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Wednesday, August 17, 6:15pm
Sarah Zehnder presents Travel by Foot, inspired by a loved one's battle with cancer, in which one dancer is always lifted off the ground by others. Defining a Scar incorporates fierce athleticism with unique partnering to explore the power of women.

Free PillowTalk Discussion - Deconstructing Prophets of Funk
Thursday, August 18, 5pm
Humanities scholar and cultural critic David Kyuman Kim joins his collaborator, choreographer David
Dorfman, to decode their new work set to the music of Sly and the Family Stone. Discussion will center on this dance's insistence that hopes and aspirations persist amidst the funk of life.

Free Inside/Out Performance - Dorrance Dance
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Thursday, August 18, 6:15pm
Hoofer Michelle Dorrance, an "untamable, tomboyish force of nature" (The New York Times), presents a petite suite, a work in four parts that ranges from large, full-bodied movement to intricate tap footwork, and a cast of characters both poignant and humorous.

Free Inside/Out Performance - Lucky Plush
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Friday, August 19, 6:15pm
Artistic Director Julia Rhodes, one of Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch" in 2010, presents Habituation, which uses everyday movement to question originality and influence, and Memory Mash, a romp through dance history via funny, cartoon-like movement.

Free PillowTalk - Celebrating Jess Meeker
Saturday, August 20, 4pm
The centennial year of composer/accompanist Jess Meeker (1911-1997) provides a fitting moment to remember one of the Pillow's most vibrant personalities. With a Pillow career spanning nearly 65 years, Meeker will be celebrated in anecdotes and excerpts from dances he created with Ted Shawn.

Free Inside/Out Performance - The School at Jacob's Pillow: Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Saturday, August 20, 6:15pm
In their final week of study at the Pillow, dancers perform repertory by veteran Broadway artist Bill Hastings (A Chorus Line, Cabaret) and Program Director Chet Walker (co-conceiver of Fosse).

Ticketed Event - A Jazz Happening
Sunday, August 21, 8pm
Benefit Event for The School at Jacob's Pillow
LIVE MUSIC
This year marks the 5th anniversary of this one-night-only benefit featuring students of the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance Program performing alongside Broadway stars after three weeks of intense study and preparation at The School at Jacob's Pillow. Directed by Broadway's Chet Walker, A Jazz Happening includes original choreography by the Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance artist faculty and live music by an onstage jazz band. Former guest performers have included Donna McKechnie, Andrea McArdle, Kristy Cates, Malcolm Gets, Teri Ralston, and Desmond Richardson, and this season's event will feature an all new program and cast. Proceeds benefit The School at Jacob's Pillow. Tickets $100 (includes premium seating and reception with performers) and $75 (performance only).

Free 2011 Gallery Exhibits
All exhibits are free and open to the public June 21-August 28.

Annie Leibovitz: DANCE
Blake's Barn
Open Tuesdays-Sundays, noon through final curtain
One of the world's most widely known portrait photographers, Annie Leibovitz has long been interested in capturing the human body, photographing dancers such as Suzanne Farrell, Darci Kistler, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and David Parsons. Leibovitz has worked with Mark Morris and his company on numerous occasions, and has conceived this exhibition especially for the Pillow to salute the 30th anniversary of the Mark Morris Dance Group.

If You Couldn't See Trisha Brown
Ted Shawn Theatre Lobby
Open Wednesdays-Sundays, 60 minutes pre-performance
A remarkable 1994 Trisha Brown solo, If You Couldn't See Me, was so titled because she performed it with her back to the audience. This exhibition attempts a similar sleight-of-hand, featuring highlights from her past work as well as some oF Brown's own drawings, with the artist's presence concentrated behind the scenes. Emphasizing a wide-ranging creative output, these materials are presented in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Trisha Brown Dance Company and a Pillow relationship that spans more than three decades.

Modern Classics by Barbara Morgan
Doris Duke Theatre Lobby
Open Wednesdays-Sundays, 60 minutes pre-performance
An inspiration to Annie Leibovitz and generations of photographers and dancers, Barbara Morgan created unforgettable images of Martha Graham and other pioneering modern dancers from the generation that followed Pillow founder Ted Shawn. Morgan's family has donated a collection of her original prints from the 1930s and 40s to the Dance Program of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a selection of these iconic images are gathered to celebrate The Dance Claimed Me, an important new biography of a Morgan subject, Pearl Primus.

Precious Medals
Blake's Barn
Open Tuesdays-Sundays, noon through final curtain
When President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Arts to Jacob's Pillow at the White House this year, the Pillow became the first dance presenting organization ever to receive this distinction. The medal itself and the signed presidential proclamation are on display here along with some of the other awards received by the Pillow and its founder, Ted Shawn, including the Capezio Award, The Commonwealth Award, Shawn's medal from the King of Denmark, and other treasures.

Anniversary Highlights: The First Forty
Bakalar Studio
Open to the public whenever classes or rehearsals are not in session
Photos from past Pillow seasons traditionally line these walls each summer, and the upcoming 80th anniversary in 2012 offers a special opportunity to look back comprehensively in two forty-year companion exhibits. This first installment includes images from the Pillow's inception in 1933 through 1972, the year of founder Ted Shawn's death. Foreshadowing next season's anniversary, these images recall high points from the Festival's formative eras.

Other Activities at Jacob's Pillow

The Archives
Blake's Barn
Open Tuesdays-Sundays, noon through final curtain
This informal library and reading room 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, the popular touch-screen kiosk, provides instant access to rare film clips ranging from the present day back to the 1930s, and a preview of the Dance Heritage Coalition's new Secure Media Network features videos from other archives throughout the country.

Free Guided Tours
Welcome Center
Fridays and Saturdays at 5:30pm
During the Festival, free guided tours of the 163-acre campus leave from the Welcome Center and offer visitors a casual, informative look at the extensive history that occurred on the Jacob's Pillow grounds. Everyone is invited to see what makes Jacob's Pillow a National Historic Landmark. Plus, patrons can pick up a self-guided tour map anytime to explore the grounds on their own.

Classes and Observations
Patrons are also welcome to visit The School at Jacob's Pillow and observe renowned artist faculty working with emerging professional dancers, either on a drop-in basis or pre-arranged for groups larger than four. Dance and Pilates classes are offered to the public Mondays through Fridays at 8am and are open to all experience levels (class fee required). Master classes with artists of the Doris Duke Theatre are offered every Sunday at 10am for intermediate to advanced dancers (class fee required). Master classes are also open for public observation, without charge. For Community Class information call 413.243.9919.

Relax
Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the historic Tea Garden, where Ted Shawn's Men Dancers welcomed the first Pillow audiences in the 1930s. They can also picnic on the grounds or stroll through several ecological zones on the Wetlands Trail, created as part of the Pillow's responsible stewardship of its rural environment.

Dining
Jacob's Pillow offers many dining options including the Pillow Café, a full-service open air restaurant on the Great Lawn; the Pillow Pub offering casual fare, ready-to-go picnics, and a full bar; the Coffee & Ice Cream Bars, and catering services for groups and events.

The Pillow Store
Visitors can shop onsite for logo items, clothes, gifts, books, and music; all proceeds benefit Jacob's Pillow.

Jacob's Pillow, celebrating its 79th anniversary in 2011, is a National Historic Landmark and home to America's longest running international dance festival. The Festival includes more than 50 national and international dance companies and 300 free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, exhibits, and events. The School at Jacob's Pillow, one of the most prestigious professional dance training centers in the U.S., encompasses the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary, and Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, as well as an Intern Program in various departments of arts administration and production. The Pillow's extensive Archives, open year-round to the public, chronicle more than 80 years of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and video. Year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults through public classes, residencies in area schools, and more than 200 free public events. Through Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, a nationally-recognized program, artist-educators work with Berkshire County teachers and students grades K-12, transforming existing curricula such as biology, literature, and history into kinesthetic and creative learning experiences. Choreography commissions; Creative Development Residencies, in which dance companies are invited to live and work at the Pillow and enjoy unlimited studio time; and the annual $25,000 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award all support visionary choreographers. Virtual Pillow is aimed at expanding global audiences for dance and offers the opportunity to experience dance and Jacob's Pillow from anywhere in the world via online interactive exhibits, global video networks, and mobile social media. As part of the Virtual Pillow initiative, Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive, an online video collection of dance highlights from 1937 through 2010, is a new resource with a curated selection of videos by artists who have performed at Jacob's Pillow over the past seven decades. On March 2, 2011, President Obama honored Jacob's Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government. Jacob's Pillow is the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award.
As of July 28, 2011, support for Jacob's Pillow has been provided by:
Foundations: The American-Scandinavian Foundation ; Arch W. Shaw Foundation; Asian Cultural Council; The Barrington Foundation; Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation through the Berkshire Hills Fund for Excellence and The Central Berkshire Fund; Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Frances Alexander Family Fund; Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; Harkness Foundation for Dance; Jerome Robbins Foundation; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Korean Cultural Service, New York; The Kresge Foundation; Leading for the Future Initiative, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Marshall Frankel Foundation; Mertz Gilmore Foundation; The National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts (NDP is supported by lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community Connections Fund of the MetLife Foundation, and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust); Neal Rantoul Foundation; The New York Community Trust - Wallace Special Projects Fund; The O'Neill Foundation; Princeton University; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Québec Delegation to New England; RoBert Wood Johnson Foundation; The Royal Norwegian Consulate General, New York; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; Spingold Foundation, Inc.; The Thompson Family Foundation; and The T. Backer Fund. Government: The Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency; the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, a Program of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council; Mass Humanities, State-based Affiliate of the National Endowment of the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Pittsfield Cultural Council. Corporate: ALEX®; Berkshire Bank; Clark and Green; Cranwell; Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation; LEGO Children's Fund; The Pilgrim Inn; Super 8 Motel Lee; and Wheatleigh. Funding for Inside/Out has been provided, in part, by Greylock Federal Credit Union, The Legacy Banks Foundation, and The TD Charitable Foundation. Endowment: The Barrington Foundation, Inc.; The William Randolph Hearst Foundation; The Leir Charitable Foundations, In Memory of Henry J. Leir; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Onota Foundation; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Talented Students in the Arts Initiative, a collaboration of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Surdna Foundation; and Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Jacob's Pillow is also grateful to its Members and Business Alliance for their ongoing support.

To post a comment, you must register and login.