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Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival announces the start of an exciting new era with the much anticipated opening of the new Doris Duke Theatre, a transformational space to support the future of dance. Occupying the site of the former studio theater, which was destroyed by fire in November 2020, the reimagined Doris Duke Theatre is set to become one of the most technologically advanced theaters in the world dedicated to dance.
Eight days of celebration will surround the opening (July 6-13), including a star-studded Opening Program on July 9 with watch party and livestream, the opening of the inaugural exhibition in the Doris Duke Theatre Gallery, a nature walk, an Extended Reality Salon, free artist talks, and much more. Folded into this special week is Pillow Pride Weekend (July 11-13), restored to a three-day celebration for the first time in years, and featuring a dance party hosted by self-proclaimed ”Afro-Electro-Disco-Space-Punks Music/DJ duo” The Illustrious Blacks.
In the Ted Shawn Theatre, Trinity Irish Dance Company will make their Jacob’s Pillow debut with performances Thursday, July 10 through Sunday, July 13. Known for progressive Irish dance, the company’s program promises an electrifying mix of classic works and genre-defying repertoire, including American Traffic, a hybrid of Irish step and American tap by Pillow fan favorites Melinda Sullivan and Michelle Dorrance. Called “impossibly complex” (The New York Times) and “irresistible” (Dance Magazine), Trinity Irish Dance Company is also celebrating its 35th anniversary season.
On the outdoor stage, Jacob’s Pillow welcomes a diverse lineup of one-night-only performances. Indigenous Enterprise, a dance troupe made up of champion powwow dancers, will perform on Thursday, July 10 at 5:30pm. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will return on Friday, July 11 at 5:30pm with their folkloric storytelling and colorful costumes. Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, an experimental dance-theatre collective, will make their Pillow debut on Saturday, July 12 at 5:30pm.
“The third week of the Festival will be filled with full-circle moments and new beginnings,” said Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director at Jacob’s Pillow. “The date on which we open the new Doris Duke Theatre, on July 9, was also the date of the opening of the Ted Shawn Theatre in 1942. It is only fitting we usher in a new era of innovation at the Pillow on that anniversary. As a crossroads for dance, we offer a special welcome to the dozens of artists involved in this week of celebration as Jacob’s Pillow completes its return to presenting on three stages for the first time since 2019. It is a very exciting week of growth, movement, music, and coming together that we know audiences will never forget.”
All performances are now on sale. Tickets to Trinity Irish Dance Company begin at $65. Tickets to all three 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.
OPENING WEEK CELEBRATION: A REIMAGINED DORIS DUKE THEATRE
The Doris Duke Theatre will open in the third week of Festival 2025, with celebratory events from July 6-13. An overview of performance and ticketing information follows. For full descriptions of each Opening Week Celebration event, pricing, and ticket information, please visit jacobspillow.org/festival, or click here to read the April 10 press release.
Sunday, July 6
This first look at the new Doris Duke Theatre will feature free events and tours of the building, the opening of the inaugural exhibition, and more. Open house is 1pm to 4:30pm, and tours will run every half hour.
· 1pm: Opening of Dancing the Algorithm, an exhibit curated by Katherine Helen Fisher for the new Doris Duke Theatre Gallery, featuring 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. Featuring works by Memo Akten, Lauren Bedal, Shimmy Boyle, Mingyong Cheng, Kianí Del Valle, Hamill Industries (Pablo Barquin and Anna Diaz), Nora Gibson, David Wallace Haskins, Katie Peyton Hofstadter, KAMBARA+ (Yayoi Kambara), Armon Naeini, Operator (Ania Catherine and Dejha Ti), and Daniel Sierra. Free.
· 1:30pm: Community-sourced pop-up performance of Celebration! choreographed by Camille A. Brown. Free.
· 2:30pm: Visitors are invited to gather in the Jameson Family Lobby for the unveiling of To Touch a Wide Span, a work by Cherokee artist Brenda Mallory created for the new Doris Duke Theatre, commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow, with brief remarks by the artists and curators behind Dancing the Algorithm and To Touch a Wide Span.
Tuesday, July 8
· 1pm: Enrolled members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans Misty Cook and Kathi Arnold will lead a Nature Walk of the Jacob’s Pillow campus and explain how they gather medicines and plants through practices that have been passed down to them. Free with registration.
Wednesday, July 9
· 12pm: Dancing the Algorithm exhibit will open to the public, through 11pm. Free.
· 7pm: Ribbon cutting on the veranda, open to the public. Free.
· 8pm: The Opening Program for the new building, featuring Shawn L. Stevens and Friends of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans from Bowler, Wisconsin; a movement score by Annie-B Parson, performed by Bebe Miller, Susan Marshall, Brian Brooks, Eiko Otake, Irene Rodríguez, David Thomson, Liz Lerman, David Dorfman, Dianne McIntyre, Dormeshia, Doug Elkins, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar; an excerpt performed by Shamel Pitts | TRIBE of the evening-length Touch of RED; the U.S. premiere of a groundbreaking duet Otmo by Alexander Whitley Dance Company; an excerpt from the film Superradiance by Memo Akten and Katie Peyton Hofstadter; and a performance by body percussionist Ryan Johnson. The general public can:
o Join the Watch Party: See a live screening in the Ted Shawn Theatre ($75 per ticket)
o Join the Livestream: Watch for free, anywhere in the world
Registration is now open at jacobspillow.org/live
· 9pm: Dance party will open to the general public, featuring JD Samson performing two DJ sets and Scuuulpt, an interactive augmented reality piece by Katherine Helen Fisher and Armon Naeini. Free.
Thursday, July 10
· 12pm: Dancing the Algorithm exhibit will open to the public, through 7:30pm. Free.
· 4pm: World-premiere site-specific performance by Eiko Otake, titled Shadows and Stones, which will take audiences around the site of the new theater. $45 per ticket. Free Pre-Show talk begins 30 minutes in advance.
Friday, July 11
· 12pm: Dancing the Algorithm exhibit will open to the public, through 7:30pm. Free.
· 1pm: Eiko Otake will perform Shadows and Stones. $45 per ticket. Free Pre-Show talk begins 30 minutes in advance.
· 4pm: Eiko Otake will perform Shadows and Stones. $45 per ticket. Free Pre-Show talk begins 30 minutes in advance.
Saturday, July 12
· 9am: Extended Reality Salon will open in the Forest Studio, free and open to the public 9am to 4pm and 5pm to 7:45pm, featuring two experiences:
o Internationally-recognized disability arts ensemble Kinetic Light will present territory, an immersive virtual reality experience centered in a futuristic post-apocalyptic disabled world created by Double Eye Studios. Free walk-up; begins approximately every 20 minutes.
o Aoi + Esteban will present the U.S. premiere of 0AR (zero AR), a collection of short dance works in augmented reality (AR) suitable for all ages, presented on iPads provided to each audience member. Free walk-up.
· 10:30am: The UK/France’s Unwired Dance Theatre will make its U.S. debut with Where We Meet, an audio-based dance installation where audiences can experience the inner thoughts of a dancer. $35 per ticket. Performances continue at 12:15pm, 1pm, 1:45pm, and 2:30pm.
· 11:15am: Preeminent choreographers working at the intersection of dance and technology will gather in the Jameson Family Lobby for FUTURE FIGURES: Dance and Emerging Technologies, a series of artist talks running through 3:30pm. Facilitated by Sydney Skybetter. Free.
· 12pm: Dancing the Algorithm exhibit will open to the public, through 11pm. Free.
· 4pm: PillowTalk with Aoi Nakamura and Esteban Lecoq, the founders and Co-Artistic Directors of AΦE (AE). In this performative lecture, Nakamura and Lecoq will reveal how the technologies of AI and extended reality were necessary to tell the story of Lilith, the youngest cryogenically frozen person, using motion capture, machine learning, and Unreal Engine to redefine immersive storytelling. Free.
· 9pm: The Pillow Pride Dance Party will transform the new Doris Duke Theatre into an immersive club experience, with beats provided by DJ/musical duo The Illustrious Blacks. Part of Pillow Pride Weekend, running July 11-13. $20 per ticket.
Sunday, July 13
· 11am: Extended Reality Salon will open to the public, through 2pm. Free.
· 11am: Dancing the Algorithm exhibit will open to the public, through 2pm. Free.
ABOUT TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY
Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) is a uniquely Irish-American company that is the high watermark for their art form. Called “sophisticated and commanding” by the Los Angeles Times and “impossibly complex” by The New York Times, TIDC makes their Jacob’s Pillow debut this summer, presenting “everything you expect, but like nothing you’d imagine.”
Performing in the Ted Shawn Theatre, TIDC’s mixed program will represent their range of genre-defying repertoire as well as classic works, featuring a live band. Among the works presented will be Mark Howard’s Soles, a tribal and timeless rhythmic study; Push, an explosion of hard-driving percussive power that exemplifies the company’s consistent message of female empowerment; and Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan’s American Traffic, a hybrid of Irish step and American tap that plays at the intersection of rhythmic sensibilities and rebellious histories.
Since 1990, TIDC has celebrated Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard’s pioneering vision to fuse vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving innovation. TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance, Howard’s innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune). Considered an American treasure by critics and enthusiasts worldwide, TIDC has performed sold-out tours globally, carving new traditions as they push the boundaries of an ancient and beloved art form. The company celebrates its 35th anniversary this season.
ABOUT INDIGENOUS ENTERPRISE
Indigenous Enterprise, a premier group of champion powwow dancers and cultural ambassadors, has brought the beauty and power of Indigenous traditions to audiences since 2015. Known for their dynamic performances blending dance, film, and fashion, the group has captivated audiences worldwide, with appearances at the Sydney Opera House and Lincoln Center. In 2022, they were featured in promotion by the NBA Phoenix Suns, which drew attention to all 22 Native tribes in Arizona. In February 2023, they became the first Indigenous dance troupe to perform at the Super Bowl.
Representing a diverse range of Native tribes and nations, Indigenous Enterprise showcases the vibrancy of the powwow way of life, with dancers and singers who embody cultural pride and excellence. Celebrated by outlets like Vogue and The New York Times, their innovative and inspiring performances continue to elevate and celebrate Indigenous culture, empowering audiences with every show.
ABOUT CALPULLI MEXICAN DANCE COMPANY
Back by popular demand, Calpulli Mexican Dance Company returns to the Leir Stage to celebrate their cultural legacy with folkloric storytelling, dynamic dance and music, and colorful costumes. Described by The New York Times as “a terrific company of generous dancers [that] give a vibrant tour of Mexican traditions,” Calpulli will present an excerpt from Monarcas—which celebrates the real life contributions and sacrifices by Mexican immigrants to and for the United States—and Viñedos, which honors laborers who became vineyard owners and proud makers of California wine.
Calpulli’s narrative-driven performances have captivated audiences across the United States and internationally, with debuts in Bahrain in 2013 and Turkey in 2019. Co-founded by Alberto Lopez Herrera and Juan Castaño, the company’s artistic vision is now led by Artistic Director Grisel Pren Monje, who continues to honor their rich cultural history through vibrant, passionate performances.
ABOUT SYDNIE L. MOSLEY DANCES
Jacob’s Pillow welcomes Sydnie L. Mosley Dances (SLMDances), a dance-theatre collective making their Pillow debut this summer. SLMDances explores the real-life experiences of women and the Black community through experiential dance performances that blend modern technique, verbal performance, and the movement traditions of the African diaspora. They will present a program spanning years of work, in celebration of the company’s 15th anniversary.
The company creates works designed to provoke a visceral response and spark dialogue around gender and racial justice. SLMDances works nationally, with deep relationships in Harlem, New York City, and Baltimore. SLMDances actively partners with local artists and organizations driving community-based initiatives that amplify their mission for social change through dance theater and Black feminist performance art.
TICKETED EVENT DETAILS
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
Nature Walk with Misty Cook and Kathi Arnold, enrolled members of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans
July 8 at 1pm
Doris Duke Theatre | Free with registration
Opening Program Watch Party
July 9 at 8pm
Ted Shawn Theatre | $75 per ticket
Trinity Irish Dance Company
July 10-13; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm
Ted Shawn Theatre | Tickets from $65
Eiko Otake
July 10-11; Thursday and Friday, 4pm; Friday, 1pm
Doris Duke Theatre | Tickets from $45
Indigenous Enterprise
Thursday, July 10 at 5:30
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company
Friday, July 11 at 5:30
Henry J. Leir Stage | Choose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
Unwired Dance Theatre
Saturday, July 12 at 10:30pm, 12:15pm, 1pm, 1:45pm, and 2:30pm
Doris Duke Theatre | Tickets from $35
Sydnie L. Mosley Dances
Saturday, July 12 at 5:30pm
Henry J. Leir Stage | Chose What You Pay; Rain or Shine tickets from $40
Pillow Pride Dance Party
Saturday, July 13 at 9pm
Doris Duke Theatre | $20 per ticket
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
Morning Classes
July 8-11; 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
In Studio Pause in the Process Showings by The School: Contemporary Performance Ensemble Saturday, July 12, 1pm
Perles Family Studios | FREE
Led by esteemed Program Director Milton Myers and Associate Program Director Francisco Martinez, see The School’s Contemporary Performance Ensemble share an informal look into the creative process with renowned choreographer and Artistic Director of GALLIM, Andrea Miller. Seating is limited; priority entry given to visitors who pre-register online. Walk-ups are also welcome, pending availability.
Workshops with Festival Artists: Trinity Irish Dance Company
Sunday, July 13, 10-11:30am
Open to all dance experience levels, ages 12+
Taught by Chelsea Hoy, Associate Artistic Director of Trinity Irish Dance Company, and Company Member Francisco Lemus, workshop participants will learn the fundamentals of Irish dance and engage in Irish dance history through exploring excerpts of Trinity Irish Dance Company’s diverse repertoire. Experience first hand the company’s unique genre of ‘progressive Irish dance’ and distinct approach to the form! Wear comfortable clothing; socks or tennis shoes recommended.
Pillow Pride Brunch
Sunday, July 13, 10am
Refuel after the revelry with a lively morning-after brunch among friends. Good vibes, great food—just what you need to start your Sunday. Reservations required.
Dance to the African Drums: A Family Experience
Sunday, July 13, 11am-12pm
Sommers Studio | Registration required
Join artist Noel Staples-Freeman for a joyful West African dance class for families of all ages. Explore the vibrant rhythms and movement of West African culture while connecting with each other through dance. This fun and playful class invites creativity, learning through play, celebrates family bonds, and offers a unique opportunity to experience the joy of movement together. We’ll also explore the roots of traditional movement and the stories they tell, deepening our connection to the culture. $30 per class, per family. Recommended for all ages. Class size will be limited to 12 families per event.
Pillow Pride History Tour
Sunday, July 13, 11am
Uncover hidden queer history with Director of Preservation Norton Owen on a celebratory tour of the Pillow’s past. Juicy stories, legendary artists, and plenty of tea.
FESTIVAL EXHIBITS & ARCHIVES – ONGOING
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. The exhibit features works by Memo Akten, Lauren Bedal, Shimmy Boyle, Mingyong Cheng, Kianí Del Valle, Hamill Industries (Pablo Barquin and Anna Diaz), Nora Gibson, David Wallace Haskins, Katie Peyton Hofstadter, KAMBARA+ (Yayoi Kambara), Armon Naeini, Operator (Ania Catherine and Dejha Ti), and Daniel Sierra. The score for the interactive exhibit space is composed by Josh Kadish / Vviota. Doris Duke Theatre Gallery; Open Tue-Sun, noon through final curtain. Official opening on Sunday, July 6.
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.
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.
ABOUT JACOB’S PILLOW
Jacob’s Pillow is a National Historic Landmark, recipient of the National Medal of Arts, and home to America's longest-running international dance festival, which celebrates its 93rd season in Summer 2025. Jacob’s Pillow acknowledges that it rests on the ancestral homelands of the Muh-he-con-ne-ok or Mohican people. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors and elders past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all. In addition, we acknowledge the Nipmuc, the Wampanoag and other tribal nations who also made their homes in what is now known as Massachusetts.
Founded by Ted Shawn in 1933, each Festival includes national and international dance companies and free and ticketed performances, talks, tours, classes, exhibits, events, and community programs. The School at Jacob’s Pillow, a prestigious professional dance training center, advances the careers of the upcoming generation of performers and choreographers; during the Festival, 100 international dancers evolve as artists in ballet, choreography, contemporary, musical theatre, tap, and other genres, and year round, artist faculty and accomplished alumni nurture younger dancers in a series of Jacob’s Pillow 360 workshops and intensives offered in partnership with leading dance institutions worldwide. The Pillow also provides professional advancement opportunities across disciplines of arts administration, design, video, and production through seasonal internships and a year-round Administrative Fellows program. Through its community engagement programs, the Pillow serves as a partner and active citizen in its local community. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public and highlighted online at danceinteractive.jacobspillow.org, chronicle more than a century of dance in photographs, programs, books, costumes, audiotapes, and videos.
Notable artists who have created or premiered dances at the Pillow include choreographers Antony Tudor, Agnes de Mille, Alvin Ailey, Donald McKayle, Kevin McKenzie, Twyla Tharp, Ralph Lemon, Susan Marshall, Trisha Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Wally Cardona, Andrea Miller, and Trey McIntyre; performed by artists such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Carmen de Lavallade, Mark Morris, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Edward Villella, Rasta Thomas, and hundreds of others. On March 2, 2011, President Barack Obama honored Jacob’s Pillow with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government, making the Pillow the first dance presenting organization to receive this prestigious award. The Pillow’s Executive and Artistic Director since 2016 is Pamela Tatge. For more information, visit www.jacobspillow.org.
MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR JACOB’S PILLOW IS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY: Arison Arts Foundation, Barr Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, and The Shubert Foundation. As of June 10, 2025.
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