Norway's Carte Blanche Makes its US Debut 6/29

Carte Blanche, Norway's award-winning National Company of Contemporary Dance, makes its U.S. full company debut in a program of compelling works by Batsheva Dance Company house choreographer Sharon Eyal at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival June 29-July 3. The U.S. premiere of Killer Pig presents a hypnotic, sensual look at femininity while Love is a testimony to the ensemble's strength in handling complex and layered choreographic material. The combination of Eyal's unconventional choreography and Carte Blanche's distinguished technical abilities delivers performances of artistic intensity, described as "top notch of imaginative, precise, and powerful dance art" (Oberösterreichische Nachrichten, Austria.)

"Carte Blanche is a stunning company," comments Ella Baff, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow. "They have it all: superb dancers and powerful and smart choreography by one of the important choreographers of the new generation, Sharon Eyal. This company will be talked about and they promise to make a big impression in the dance world."

Carte Blanche, established in 1989, is a contemporary ensemble comprised of a wealth of international talent. The company's 14 dancers are classically trained while also possessing versatility in experimental modern forms. Based in Bergen, the second largest city in Norway, they regularly work with some of the world's most celebrated Norwegian and international choreographers. As a company renowned for its powerful stage presence and eclectic repertoire, they often commission work by emerging contemporary choreographers. Artistic Director Bruno Heynderickx strives to position the company at the forefront of the creation and advancement of contemporary dance both in Norway and abroad. While members of Carte Blanche performed as part of Houston's Dance Salad Festival in 2009, this six-performance Jacob's Pillow engagement marks the U.S. debut of the full company.

Sharon Eyal's Love was originally choreographed for Batsheva Dance Company, who presented the work's U.S. premiere at the Pillow in 2004. Twelve dancers are accompanied by a ballad by Lisa Germano, an artist with a hushed vocal style and emotional lyrics, blended with an atmospheric soundscape with techno beats. Numerous movement sections overlap one another as dancers transition in and out of duets, trios, and ensemble phrases. Love's rhythmic style results in "pure dance, singing the praise of the human body's gift" (Ha'aretz, Israel).

The U.S. premiere of Killer Pig, commissioned by Carte Blanche for six female dancers in their company, is a convergence of sensuality and physical prowess. Dressed in white, quilted two-piece costumes, the dancers combine extreme balletic technique with uncanny flexibility and mysteriously stripped down performance qualities. Sharon Eyal is often lauded for her work with female dancers; dance critic Gaby Aldor comments, "the clarity of movement in Eyal's dances is such that feminine splendor becomes magnificence greater than life, worthy of goddesses. Her approach is a fresh reminder of an alternative femininity, maybe similar to that of Madonna who fearlessly re-invents herself every day."

Carte Blanche and Eyal's collaboration is highly anticipated after recent performances in Finland and Norway. One article described a recent show: "Standing ovations for 15 minutes and sold out [houses]. Carte Blanche's performance of Killer Pig...thrilled the Germans tremendously" (Nordwest Zeitung, Germany).

Sharon Eyal has been House Choreographer for Batsheva Dance Company since 2005. Born in Israel in 1971, she danced with the Batsheva Dance Company from 1990 until 2008. From September 2003 to December 2004 she served as Batsheva's Associate Artistic Director, under Ohad Naharin. As a choreographer Eyal is known for her rare and personal movement language that often incorporates sensuality; she has been called "a worthy heiress to the renowned Naharin" (Arts de la scéne). Her creations for Batsheva Dance Company and the Batsheva Ensemble include You Got to Live, Pan (2001), Ink (2002), Static (2002), After Love (2003), Love (2003), Quiet Village (2004), Part II (2005), Bertolina (2006) and Makarova Kabisa (2008). She has received numerous honors, including the Ministry of Culture Award for young dance creators, and in 2008 she was named a Chosen Artist of the Israel Cultural Excellence Foundation.
A PillowTalk will be held on Saturday, July 2 at 4pm to explore the collaboration between Norway's Carte Blanche, their Belgian Director Bruno Heynderickx, and Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal, an example of the ever-increasing internationalism in dance today. PillowTalks are free and open to the public, and offer interaction with artists and experts in the field with in-depth discussions, moderated interviews, film screenings, and book signings. See a full list of the week's free events below.

Performance and Ticket Information

Ted Shawn Theatre
Wednesday, June 29 through Saturday, July 2 at 8pm
Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3 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 $43.50-64.50. 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 Carte Blanche. 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
June 20-August 31: 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 June 29-July 2

Free Inside/Out Performance - Joanna Kotze
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Wednesday, June 29, 6:15pm
ONE/4, a dance in four sections, morphs from formal precise movement to malleable, elastic phrases, and the duet Between You and Me juxtaposes solitude and camaraderie.

Free PillowTalk Discussion - Creating the Comfort Zone
Thursday, June 30, 5pm
Choreographer Jane Comfort created her contemporary classic Underground River at the Pillow, and this season presents another new work entitled Beauty. The creative process of each of these two works is examined and juxtaposed with the other, in a discussion with dramaturg Anne Davison.

Free Inside/Out Performance - Adam Barruch Dance
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Thursday, June 30, 6:15pm
Presenting highly physical and witty dance theatre works, Barruch, an alumnus of The School at Jacob's Pillow, performs The Worst Pies in London set to the opening song of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Free Inside/Out Performance - Terra Firma Dance Theatre
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Friday, July 1, 6:15pm
Artistic Director Stuart Loungway's Chamber uses flowing, graceful movement to illustrate intimacy between dancers, and presents a new, exuberant, contemporary rock ballet.

Free PillowTalk Discussion - The Belgian Norwegian Israeli Connection
Saturday, July 2, 4pm
Norway's Carte Blanche is directed by Belgian Bruno Heynderickx, who has selected the work of Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal for this company's rare U.S. appearance. This head-spinning conglomeration of national origins provides the starting point for a discussion of the ever-increasing internationalism in dance today.

Free Inside/Out Performance - The School at Jacob's Pillow: Samba
Marcia & Seymour Simon Performance Space
Saturday, July 2, 6:15pm
Under the direction of Jomar Mesquita, Artistic Director of one of Brazil's leading dance companies Mimulus, dancers of The School present the movement and rhythms of samba, an energetic form of Brazilian origin.

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 June 13, 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; The Kresge Foundation; Leading for the Future Initiative, a program of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; 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 O'Neill Foundation; Princeton University; Prospect Hill Foundation; Québec Delegation to New England; RoBert Wood Johnson Foundation; The Royal Norwegian Consulate General, New York ; 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; Greylock Federal Credit Union; The Legacy Banks Foundation; LEGO Children's Fund; The Pilgrim Inn; Super 8 Motel Lee; The TD Charitable Foundation; and Wheatleigh. 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.

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