Jacob's Pillow Presents Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM in Dark Matters July 6-10

Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM (Kidd Pivot), the acclaimed contemporary dance company led by choreographer Crystal Pite, performs her virtuosic and enigmatic work Dark Matters at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival July 6-10. Pite joins choreographers Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham, Annie-B Parson, Paul Lazar, and Alonzo King as the recipient of the 2011 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, which is presented each year to a visionary artist along with a cash prize of $25,000.

"Crystal is one of the most talented, intelligent, and original dancemakers to come along in recent years," comments Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow. "A former dancer with William Forsythe's Frankfurt Ballet and a riveting performer with her own troupe, she has also choreographed for major international companies, many of which have performed at the Pillow. She is respected and admired by the dance field throughout the world, and each of her creations is something unexpected and deeply imaginative. Dark Matters is one of the most fascinating dance works I've seen in a long time."

The dancers of Kidd Pivot are renowned for their "sinewy, tumbling moves and their powers of endurance" (Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times). In Dark Matters, a striking mystery thriller told through dance, a lonely artist creates a puppet with fateful results. Pite's choreography lures the audience into a world of fantasy, humor, and dark twists and turns intricately entwined with Owen Belton's original score. Dark Matters explores the idea of undetectable forces at work in cosmology, the mind and body, and in the creative act itself. Upchurch continues, "It's impossible to be eloquent enough in describing the dance-theatrical feat that choreographer Crystal Pite and her troupe, Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM, have pulled off in Dark Matters...This is, in short, art of the highest caliber. And it's spellbinding."

The two hour work is broken up into two acts. In Act One, the artist interacts with a puppet controlled by performers in black suits. Focusing on the narrative of the puppet and the creator, the first act ends with a dramatic, dynamic finish. In contrast to the plot-focused Act One, Act Two is pure dance. Pite's choreography mixes break dance isolations with graceful contemporary dance, spoken word, and excerpts from Voltaire's Poem on the Lisbon Disaster (1756), which was written in response to the tragic deaths of an estimated 10,000 individuals after the historic 1755 Lisbon earthquake.

Established in Vancouver in 2001 by Crystal Pite, Kidd Pivot recently accepted a two-year residency at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt in spring 2010. In addition to her own company, Pite has traveled the world to create works for Nederlands Dance Theatre, Ballett Frankfurt, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (where she was Resident Choreographer 2001 - 2004), Ballet British Columbia, the Alberta Ballet, Ballet Jorgen, as well as Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Kidd Pivot previously performed Pite's Lost Action in the Doris Duke Theatre at the Pillow in 2009.

Crystal Pite was involved in the creation of Forsythe's CD-ROM Improvisation Technologies (available in the Pillow Archives). She choreographed and performed in several films; Subways, directed by Daniel Conrad for CBC; the feature film One Night Stand, directed by Mike Figgis; and The Score, created by Electric Company. Pite previously performed at the Pillow with Ballet British Columbia in 1993 and 1995.

On July 9 at 4pm, Pite will participate in a free PillowTalk discussion entitled Crystal Pite Goes Global. As part of the Pillow's Community Dance Day, company members will lead a free Master Class on Sunday, July 10 for intermediate and advanced dances ages 16 and older. Pre-registration is required; for more information, call 413.243.9919.

On July 10, 9:30am-12:30pm, Jacob's Pillow hosts Community Dance Day, an annual community event aimed at encouraging participation in dance among teens, adults, and families. The event features free dance workshops in Tango, African, Arab-American fusion, and Hoopla, the popular activity inspired by the craft and creativity of the Hula Hoop.

Other activities include free performances by the New England Tap Ensemble and Alpha Omega, music, and food and drink.

Performance and Ticket Information
Doris Duke Theatre
Wednesday, July 6 through Saturday, July 10 at 8:15pm
Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10 at 2:15pm
Free Pre-Show Talks with Jacob's Pillow Scholars-in-Residence are offered on the Doris Duke Theatre porch 30 minutes before every performance.
Tickets $33-36. 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, $19 Under 35 tickets (for individuals 35 and younger) are available for the Friday evening performance of Kidd Pivot. Limit two (2) per person, must be under 35 to purchase, and must show valid I.D. when tickets are picked up. Under 35 ticket holders will also receive a Blue Q bonus bag.
Box Office hours:
Monday through Thursday 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 July 6-July10

Free Inside/Out Performance - Mark Stuart Dance Theatre
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Wednesday, July 6, 6:15pm
Dubbed "smoldering" by The New York Times, Adhesion is a whirlwind of passion and intensity, as dancers are thrown and flipped into the air. Torque and Entanglement grapple with opposing physical forces through daring partnering.

Free PillowTalk Discussion and Book Signing - The Dance Claimed Me: Pearl Primus
Thursday, July 7, 5pm
The pioneering Trinidad-born dancer/choreographer Pearl Primus is the subject of a new biography by her colleagues Peggy and Murray Schwartz, just published by Yale University Press, which is filled with intrigue and controversy. Following the Talk, see a related presentation of Primus solos as part of the Inside/Out series at 6:15pm.

This event is part of Lift Ev'ry Voice: Celebrating African-American Culture and Heritage in the Berkshires.

Free Inside/Out Performance - University Dancers
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Thursday, July 7, 6:15pm
UMass Amherst's Dance Program touring company presents three solos by legendary dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist Pearl Primus, who sought to educate American audiences about African dance as an art form. Her dances of social protest remain a moving response to the injustices suffered by African Americans in the 1940s.

This event is part of Lift Ev'ry Voice: Celebrating African-American Culture and Heritage in the Berkshires.

Free Inside/Out Performance - Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Friday, July 8, 6:15pm
Selwyn's Five Minutes takes audiences through contrasting emotional and physical patterns in five-minute intervals. Dancers experience each interval through rushing movement and a constant feeling of spontaneity.

Free PillowTalk Discussion - Crystal Pite Goes Global
Saturday, July 9, 4pm
Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite's company, Kidd Pivot, is now based in both Frankfurt and Vancouver, and this global perspective clearly reflects Pite's broad interests. Her expansive career and probing mind are examined in this intimate conversation with one of the dance world's most original talents.

Free Inside/Out Performance - The School at Jacob's Pillow: Samba
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Saturday, July 9, 6:15pm
Culminating two weeks of intensive study, faculty and dancers perform the sounds and rhythms of Brazilian Samba under the direction of Program Director Jomar Mesquita and esteemed faculty.

Free Community Event - Community Dance Day
Sunday, July 10, 9:30am-12:30pm
Jacob's Pillow will again offer its community-wide "open house" event on the morning of July 10, aimed at encouraging participation in dance. Community Dance Day will include free performances by New England Tap Ensemble and Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, presenting Pegao, a tribute that blends jazz, Afro-Cuban, and contemporary movement; open
dance classes and workshops especially suited for adults and teens in a variety of movement styles including Pilates, social dance, and more; a master class and meet and greet with Doris Duke Theatre artists Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM; music; raffles; food and drink; and other attractions. All performances, classes, events, and workshops are free.

Community Dance Day is sponsored in part by the Advocate Weekly, and select performances and classes are part of Lift Ev'ry Voice: Celebrating African-American Culture and Heritage in the Berkshires.

The 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-performanceA 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.

Dance Opportunities
Morning Classes offered in Pilates, Ballet, Modern, Arab-American Fusion, and Tai Chi. Mondays through Fridays at 8am. All experience levels, 16 and older, fees apply. Ruth St. Denis Studio. Visit jacobspillow.org or call the Education Hotline at 413.243.9919.

Weekly Master Classes are led by Festival artists on Sundays from 10-11:30am for intermediate and advanced dancers, $15 fee applies. ($10/class for dance teachers with appropriate I.D.) Pre-registration required. The public may observe for free. For Community Class information call 413.243.9919.

Families Dance Together at the Pillow, an intergenerational class led by Pillow artist-educator Jeff Bliss, is offered for children ages 5-18 and family members of all ages on Thursdays 5-6pm, July 14, 21, and 28, as well as August 4, 11, and 18. Children must be accompanied by an adult. This program is a Jacob's Pillow/Becket Arts Center collaboration. Fee information and registration at the Becket Arts Center of the Hilltowns: 413.623.6635.

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.

This performance is supported in part by the Neil Chrisman Fund for International Dance at Jacob's Pillow.

As of June 22, 2011, support for Jacob's Pillow has been provided by:
Foundations: 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; Mass Humanities; 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 O'Neill Foundation; Princeton University; The Prospect Hill Foundation; Québec Delegation to New England; RoBert Wood Johnson Foundation; 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; 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.

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