Our 93rd summer festival will feature U.S.-based and international artists across three stages on Jacob’s Pillow’s campus in the Berkshires. Scroll to learn
about the artists to perform in the Ted Shawn Theatre, newly rebuilt Doris Duke Theatre, and outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage.

Schedule of Events:

Festival Week 1:

The Center Will Not Hold: A Dorrance Dance Production:
Wednesday, Jun 25, 7:30 PM
Thursday, Jun 26, 7:30 PM
Friday, Jun 27, 2:00 PM .
Saturday, Jun 28 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jun 28, 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jun 29, 2:00 PM

June 25-29, 2025:

The Center Will Not Hold: A Dorrance Dance Production: Ted Shawn Theatre
Jacob's Pillow fan favorites and close collaborators Michelle Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie kick off Festival 2025 with a lively celebration of street, club, and vernacular dances, born from their many years of creating together. Originally crafted in 2022 as a short duet, The Center Will Not Hold premiered as a 30-minute piece at New York City Center's 2023 Fall For Dance Festival.??

Now, in this reimagined evening-length work, Dorrance and Asherie offer an eclectic ensemble of 11 performers, each deeply rooted in regional music and movement—from tap dance and hip hop to breaking, house, Chicago footwork, Detroit jit, litefeet, Memphis jookin', and body percussion. The Center Will Not Hold features original music composed by Donovan Dorrance with live percussion by world-class drummer and percussionist John Angeles.

Jacob's Pillow has long been an artistic home for Michelle Dorrance, a tap performer, choreographer, teacher, and the Artistic Director of Dorrance Dance, which has headlined at the festival nine times, most recently in 2021 and 2023. An artist "with a transcendent strength of spirit" (The Washington Post), Dorrance received the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award in 2013 and a MacArthur "Genius" Award in 2015. Ephrat Asherie is a b-girl dancer and choreographer whose works are hailed as "a magnificent celebration of movement and art" (Charleston City Paper). She has performed at Jacob's Pillow numerous times since 2013, and her company, Ephrat Asherie Dance, developed its break-out work Odeon in the Pillow Lab in 2017 and had its world premiere at Festival 2018. Both based in New York City, Dorrance and Asherie have also served as Program Directors at The School at Jacob's Pillow.

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June 25-26, 2025

Prehistoric Body Theater: Henry J. Leir Stage:
In a special kick-off to Festival 2025, Prehistoric Body Theater—an experimental dance theater collective from Indonesia—channel dinosaurs as they explore themes of mass extinction, climate crisis, and evolutionary ancestry through movement. The group creates "deep-time animal dance" by fusing paleontology with traditional dance and experimental Javanese percussion. Prehistoric makes its U.S. debut in association with New York's Asia Society with Ghosts of Hell Creek: Stone Garuda, a mesmerizing work that eulogizes the raptors who perished in the Chicxulub asteroid impact 66 million years ago, while celebrating the survival of our earliest primate ancestors in a world born anew.

Praised as "an innovative form of global public outreach for paleontology" (Oxford University Press), Prehistoric Body Theater collaborates with Indigenous Indonesian performing artists as well as international scientists—uniting art, science, and a deep commitment to nature conservation.

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June 27, 2025

5:30: Djapo: Marie Basse-Wiles and Omari Wiles: Henry J. Leir Stage:
Omari Wiles—a force in New York's ballroom and dance scenes—joins his mother, Marie Basse-Wiles, a revered figure in African diasporic dance, for Djapo, a vibrant new work commissioned by Works and Process, bringing together their companies Les Ballet Afrik and Maimouna Keita School of African Dance.

Rooted in the rhythms of Senegal and Mali, this electrifying performance blends traditional West African dance with contemporary African club culture, Afrobeats, and live percussion, shaped through the duo's intergenerational collaboration. Company dancers come together for an in-process performance of Djapo, exploring the evolution of movement, music, and community, celebrating the deep ties between past and present while amplifying the visibility of African cultural traditions in today's global dance landscape.

Djapo's development is supported by Works and Process LaunchPAD residencies at Bethany Arts Community, Watermill Center, Pocantico Center, and Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross. Music commission made possible by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation. Additional support provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

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June 28, 2025

5:30pm :The School at Jacob's Pillow: Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble: Henry J. Leir Stage:
Performances by The School at Jacob's Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This performance is the culmination of a two-week Contemporary Ballet Program, featuring original repertoire by leading choreographers who serve as Artist Faculty: Program Director Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Guest Choreographer Durante Verzola.

Dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow are apprentices, trainees, pre-professionals, and early-career professionals from around the world. The School's professional advancement programs are held onsite during the Festival to nurture the artistic voices and growth of the dancers.

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Festival Week 2:

Bodytraffic:
Wednesday, Jul 2 7:30 PM
Thursday, Jul 3 7:30 PM
Friday, Jul 4 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 5 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 5 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jul 6 2:00 PM

July 2-6, 2025

BODYTRAFFIC at Ted Shawn Theatre:
With a compelling style that reflects the "invention, attitude, and urban edge" (Boston Globe) of its Los Angeles home, BODYTRAFFIC returns to the Pillow with a program that dives into the power of memory sparked by unexpected reminders. Whether it's a painting, song, or sensation, the associations we make with the world around us forge lasting connections that provoke deep feelings of nostalgia.

For Festival 2025, BODYTRAFFIC will perform a program featuring Blue Until June—set to the songs of Etta James by their new Creative Partner Trey McIntyre—alongside works by Juel D. Lane and Matthew Neenan. This will be the company's Ted Shawn Theatre debut, having previously performed on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage in 2022, and in the original Doris Duke Theatre in 2013 and 2015.

Founded in 2007, BODYTRAFFIC tours the country and the globe spreading the joy and positive spirit of their home city. Dance Magazine named the company one of "25 to Watch" in 2013, and this past year, Forbes magazine wrote that BODYTRAFFIC's "incredibl" work in the decade since has "made the case for how Los Angeles is becoming a home for great dancers."

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July 2, 2025

5:30: Almanac Dance Circus Theatre at Henry J. Leir Stage:
his summer, the award-winning Almanac Dance Circus Theatre returns to the outdoor stage (where they performed in 2023) with a signature blend of acrobatics, dance, and storytelling. Known for pushing artistic boundaries, the company creates genre-defying performances that fuse circus arts with narrative stories, inviting audiences into thrilling, immersive experiences.

With a diverse ensemble of dancers, acrobats, and theater artists, Almanac has premiered 11 full-length works, touring the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Their daring, improvisational performances have captivated audiences at New York Live Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and beyond. Also renowned for community-driven events like the acclaimed Cannonball Festival, Almanac continues to expand the possibilities of contemporary circus and dance.

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July 3, 2025

5:30: New York Swings at Henry J. Leir Stage:
Veteran Lindy Hop dancer Gaby Cook returns to Jacob's Pillow this summer with her signature blend of swing dance and vernacular jazz to the outdoor stage. A prominent voice of the global Lindy Hop community, Cook shares dynamic performances centered in historical knowledge. Cook is a principal dancer in SW!NG OUT, which gave a show-stopping performance in the Ted Shawn Theatre in 2022.

Cook's previous companies include Wild Rhythm Dance Company, which performed at the Pillow in 2018 and 2019, as well as Jazz as Movement (performances with Works and Process at the Guggenheim) and Gatsby Entertainment (performances in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center).

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July 4-5, 2025

5:30: KanKouran West African Dance Company at Henry J. Leir Stage:
KanKouran, a beloved pillar of West African dance in Washington, D.C., returns to Jacob's Pillow this summer after a thrilling Festival 2024 performance. Founded by Artistic Director Assane Konte and the late Abdou Kounta, the company brings together artists from the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean to preserve and promote traditional West African culture.

For over 40 years, KanKouran has been a cornerstone for generations of dancers, students, and musicians, fostering a deep sense of community and artistic excellence. The company has performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and beyond. They now return to the Pillow for two nights to captivate audiences with their powerful rhythms, vibrant movement, and rich cultural heritage.

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July 9, 2025

Doris Duke Theatre Opening Program at Doris Duke Theatre:

Join us in celebrating the opening of the new Doris Duke Theatre, a living lab built to provide a space for cutting-edge artists to combine dance and creative technologies into unforgettable works.

Schedule of Events:

7pm: Historic Ribbon-Cutting Celebration
A historic ribbon-cutting on the veranda to open the new theater, which is free and open to the public.

8pm: Inaugural Program in the Doris Duke Theatre
The inaugural program in the Doris Duke Theatre will unite the past, present, and future with a thrilling performance by celebrated artists. Following an honor song performed by Shawn L. Stevens and Friends of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans from Bowler, Wisconsin, the program will feature:

A movement score by Annie-B Parson, performed by 12 renowned artists associated with the original Doris Duke Theatre: 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, a work developed during the last Pillow Lab residency held in the original Duke before it burned in 2020.
The U.S. premiere of an excerpt of OTMO Live, a groundbreaking duet by the U.K.'s Alexander Whitley Dance Company, where motion-capture technology connects a dancer in the Doris Duke Theatre with a dancer in the Ted Shawn Theatre—performing together in real time, even while apart.
An excerpt from the film Superradiance by Memo Akten and Katie Peyton Hofstadter, which interweaves dance, poetry, music, and AI generative imagery.
A performance by body percussionist and Guggenheim Fellow Ryan Johnson, Artistic Director of SOLE Defined.
The program will culminate in a dance party featuring iconic musician JD Samson, best known as a member of the bands Le Tigre and MEN, performing two DJ sets. The dance party will be animated by Scuuulpt, an interactive augmented reality piece by Katherine Helen Fisher and Armon Naeini that employs immersive camera work and dynamic projections to engage with performers and audience alike.

Two Ways to Join the Magic:
Livestream and On-Campus Watch Party

We invite you to join the excitement of the inaugural program, performed for an invited audience in the Doris Duke Theatre, from wherever you are—whether its on campus in the Berkshires, or from the comfort of your home!

The program will be offered in real-time to audiences around the world as a livestream, free and open to anyone, anywhere. Livestream registration will be open soon.
Join us on-campus for a special watch party in the Ted Shawn Theatre, where ticket holders can enjoy a live screening of the opening program. Buy tickets here.

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Festival Week 3:

Trinity Irish Dance Company:
Thursday, Jul 10 7:30 PM
Friday, Jul 11 2:00 PM
Friday, Jul 11 7:30 PM
Saturday, Jul 12 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 12 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jul 13 2:00 PM

July 10-13, 2025

Trinity Irish Dance Company at Ted Shawn Theatre:

Pillow Debut, Live Music, 35th Anniversary Season:
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.

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July 10, 2025

5:30pm: Indigenous Enterprise at Henry J. Leir Stage

Live Music:
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.

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July 11, 2025

5:30pm: Calpulli Mexican Dance Company at Henry J. Leir Stage:

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.

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July 12, 2025

5:30pm: Sydnie L. Mosley Dances at Henry J. Leir Stage:

Pillow Debut:
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.

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Festival Week 4:

The Sarasota Ballet:
Wednesday, Jul 16 7:30 PM
Thursday, Jul 17 2:00 PM
Thursday, Jul 17 7:30 PM
Friday, Jul 18 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 19 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 19 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jul 20 2:00 PM

July 16-20, 2025

The Sarasota Ballet at Ted Shawn Theatre:

First Appearance Since 2015 World Premiere:
Beloved among ballet fans the world over, The Sarasota Ballet returns to Jacob's Pillow for the first time in ten years. Pushed to new heights under the leadership of director Iain Webb, assistant director Margaret Barbieri (both formerly of The Royal Ballet), and executive director Joseph Volpe (formerly of the Metropolitan Opera), the company has garnered a reputation for its truly diverse repertoire of works.

This summer, the company returns to the Ted Shawn Theatre with a mixed program including a piece by Sir Frederick Ashton and a world premiere by American choreographer Jessica Lang, the Virginia B. Toulmin and Muriel O'Neil Artist in Residence at Sarasota Ballet, who has presented three previous world premieres at Jacob's Pillow with her own company, as well as two premieres with other groups.

The Sarasota Ballet is recognized for its unparalleled active repertoire of the choreography of Sir Frederick Ashton, and is known worldwide as the main exponent of his ballets outside of the United Kingdom. The company has presented an expansive range of over 180 ballets by acclaimed choreographers, including George Balanchine, Sir David Bintley, Gemma Bond, Sir Matthew Bourne, Michel Fokine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor, and Christopher Wheeldon. The company works to infuse their community and beyond with the highest quality and diversity of dance in America. According to The Guardian's review of the company's 2024 tribute to Sir Fredrick Ashton at The Royal Opera House: "the whole programme, danced with grace and care, is a history lesson and a delight."

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July 16, 2025

5:30pm: Brother(hood) Dance! at Henry J. Leir Stage:

Brother(hood) Dance! at Henry J. Leir Stage:
Those who attended the opening of Jacob's Garden in 2021 will remember Brother(hood) Dance!, a dynamic dance company that uses movement, agriculture, and technology to challenge norms and inspire social change. At the Pillow this summer, Brother(hood) Dance! will perform Black on Earth, a project that illuminates Black farmers' resilience, wisdom, and cultural heritage while addressing the urgent issues of food justice and sustainable farming practices.

Founded by Orlando Zane Hunter Jr. and Ricarrdo Valentine, the company's innovative work fuses the rhythms of the African diaspora with their research into sustainable agricultural practices, creating transformative experiences that connect people to the land, each other, and their shared histories. Their bold approach has earned them recognition as Bessie Award honorees in 2020.

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July 17, 2025

5:30pm: VTDance at Henry J. Leir Stage:

Pillow Debut:
Vincent E. Thomas' VTDance brings a bold, multi-dimensional approach to contemporary performance, blending dance, text, improvisation, and collaboration across artistic disciplines. With a keen sense of athleticism, wit, and emotional depth, VTDance crafts works that engage both heart and mind.

Thomas, an acclaimed choreographer and performer, has presented his work at national and international venues from New York to Scotland, Spain, France, and beyond. At the Pillow this summer, audiences can experience his signature fusion of movement, music, and storytelling—where gesture becomes poetry and every performance invites connection. Beyond the stage, Thomas is an educator who is deeply engaged in community work, and leads talks, master classes, and workshops with his signature athleticism and wit.

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July 18, 2025

5:30pm: Red Clay Dance Company at Henry J. Leir Stage:

Pillow Debut:
Chicago's top Afro-Contemporary dance company lives to awaken "glocal" Artivism through creating, performing, and teaching dances of the African diaspora. This Black female-led company is an award-winning ensemble of versatile and dynamic dancers that tour and perform locally, nationally, and internationally, including at the National Theater of Uganda.

Now in its 16th year, the company is committed to taking their signature "Artivism in Motion" from the stage into learning environments, and sees community engagement as a vital part of the creative process and village-building work. In December, the company's founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward was named Chicagoan of the Year in Dance by the Chicago Tribune.

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July 19, 2025

5:30pm: The School at Jacob's Pillow: Contemporary Performance Ensemble at Henry J. Leir Stage

World Premiere:
Performances by The School at Jacob's Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This performance is the culmination of a three-week Contemporary Program, featuring original repertoire by leading choreographers who serve as Artist Faculty: Program Director Milton Myers and Associate Program Director Francisco Martinez. The performance will feature work by guest choreographers Peter Chu, Andrea Miller, and Aszure Barton.

Dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow are apprentices, trainees, pre-professionals, and early-career professionals from around the world. The School's professional advancement programs are held onsite during the Festival to nurture the artistic voices and growth of the dancers.

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Andrew Schneider:
Wednesday, Jul 16, 8:00 PM
Thursday, Jul 17, 2:30 PM
Thursday, Jul 17 8:00 PM
Friday, Jul 18 2:30 PM
Saturday, Jul 19 2:30 PM
Saturday, Jul 19 8:00 PM
Sunday, Jul 20 2:30 PM

July 16-20, 2025

Andrew Schneider at Doris Duke Theatre:

Pillow Debut World Premiere Live Music:
Jacob's Pillow welcomes Obie Award-winning performer, writer, and artist Andrew Schneider, whose "inventive" and "astounding" work in interactive electronics "continually finds new ways … to surprise and mystify us." (The New York Times). In HERE, commissioned this year by the Pillow, Schneider joins with Berlin-based dancers and collaborators Margaux Marielle-Trehouart and Joel Suarez Gomez (Sasha Waltz and Guests, Mouvoir, Lausitz Festival) to tell the story of a single space over eons, in which innumerable lives, dreams, and travesties float through the present moment.

We know what it's like to miss someone because they are not here, but what does it feel like to miss someone because they are not now? Inspired by concepts of simultaneity and quantum entanglement, and using wireless in-ear technology and spatialized audio, Schneider and company explore the limits of connection and storytelling through hyper-precise attention to synchronicities of bodies in space over time—both cosmic and mundane.

Schneider has created Off-Broadway designs which include Dolphins and Sharks at the Labyrinth Theater; Small Mouth Sounds at Ars Nova and the Signature Theater; and Roosevelvis at the Vineyard Theater. He is a member of the arts incubator ONX in New York City, is a 2020 recipient of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award and a Sundance "Art of the Practice" fellow, and received a fellowship in 2022 from the Junge Akademie/Akademie Der Künste in Berlin. Schneider was a 2019 Professor of the Practice and Visiting Fellow in Theater Arts and Performance Studies through the Brown Arts Initiative at Brown University.

To complement his week-long performance run, Schneider has been commissioned by Jacob's Pillow to create an immersive / binaural sound experience that crossfades with reality. Audiences will access this experience using their own devices and headphones as they navigate the world around them.

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Festival Week 5:

Stephen Petronio Company:
Wednesday, Jul 23 7:30 PM 
Thursday, Jul 24 7:30 PM
Friday, Jul 25 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 26 2:00 PM
Saturday, Jul 26 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jul 27 2:00 PM

July 25-27, 2025

Stephen Petronio Company at Ted Shawn Theatre

First Appearance Since 2003:
This summer, Jacob's Pillow is honored to welcome acclaimed director and choreographer Stephen Petronio to present the final performances of the Stephen Petronio Company (SPC), while also marking the culmination of SPC's 40th anniversary. Petronio, who is regarded as "one of the few contemporary dance makers who have created an instantly recognizable style infused with emotional texture and wit" (The New York Times), will sunset an accomplished 40-year run with his company as he moves into his next creative endeavor: Petronio Projects.

The company's Festival 2025 program in the Ted Shawn Theatre will include Chair Pillow by Yvonne Rainer as well as some of Petronio's signature works, including MiddleSexGorge (1990), BUD (2005), Broken Man (2002), the critically acclaimed American Landscapes (2019), and a new iteration of Petronio's solo Another Kind of Steve (2024). This appearance comes exactly 40 years after the company's Pillow debut in the first of three consecutive seasons when they were Artists-in-Residence here.

A recipient of numerous awards, including a New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award, SPC focuses on the creation and presentation of Petronio's existing and new works, alongside legacy initiatives meant to preserve the history of postmodern dance lineage. The company also advances the future of postmodern dance through new works that honor and extend the history, offering a platform for a greater inclusivity of artistic voices. SPC has performed in 40 countries throughout the world with numerous New York City engagements, including 25 seasons at The Joyce Theater.

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Elle Sofe Company:
Wednesday, Jul 23 8:00 PM
Thursday, Jul 24 2:30 PM
Thursday, Jul 24 8:00 PM
Friday, Jul 25 2:30 PM
Saturday, Jul 26 2:30 PM
Saturday, Jul 26 8:00 PM

July 25-27, 2025

Elle Sofe Company at Doris Duke Theatre

U.S. Debut U.S. Premiere Live Music:
Hailing from Norway, Elle Sofe Company make their U.S. debut with Vástádus eana – the answer is land, a "powerful" (Vancouver Sun) and critically-acclaimed performance that combines dance with yoik, a traditional singing style of the Sámi people who are Indigenous to the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

Supported by polyphonic music and costumes inspired by traditional clothing, the piece is inspired by political demonstrations, Sámi spiritual practices, and formation dance. Vástádus eana – the answer is land explores community and kinship between people, nature, and the earth. The yoik, composed specifically for the performance, serves as a musical pillar throughout a performance that reflects on the power of standing together and the awareness of the earth we all stand on and share.

Company founder Elle Sofe Sara is a featured artist at the Arctic Arts Festival in Harstad and a winner of the 2019 Moon Jury Award at the Imagine Native Film Festival. Now coming to the U.S. for the first time, Vástádus eana – the answer is land has toured internationally, and received the 2021/2022 Norwegian Critics Award for Dance.

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July 25, 2025

5:30pm: Angkor Dance Troupe at Henry J. Leir Stage

Angkor Dance Troupe brings the breathtaking beauty of Cambodian classical dance to the stage, preserving a dance tradition nearly lost during the Khmer Rouge genocide (1975-1978). Founded in 1986 by Tim Thou and Cambodian refugees, the troupe has become a nationally recognized leader in traditional Cambodian performing arts, serving as the heart of a vibrant Cambodian American community in Lowell, Massachusetts.

With exquisite gestures, ornate costumes, and mesmerizing choreography, the troupe's performances honor the resilience of Cambodian culture across generations. Today, Angkor Dance Troupe fosters a new generation of young dancers, blending revival, tradition, and innovation to create imaginative works. Through dance, the troupe connects past and present, ensuring this rich artistic legacy not only endures but evolves. Experience the grace, power, and storytelling of one of the most accomplished Cambodian dance ensembles in the United States.

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July 24, 2025

5:30pm: Orlando Hernández at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut Live Music:
Lauded as "a onetime tap prodigy who's grown into a history-mining experimentalist' (The New Yorker), Orlando Hernández is a performer, choreographer, theater-maker, musician, and writer who came up in the tap dance community in New York. He now presents a variety of stories and performances that thrillingly blend live music, tap dance, theater and storytelling, and embodied rhythm. His play La Broa' (Broad Street), composed of real-life stories from Latino communities in Rhode Island, was recently produced at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, in a run The Boston Globe called "heartwarming and magical.'

As a member of the New York-based tap dance and live music company Music From the Sole, Hernández has performed at Jacob's Pillow, Works and Process at the Guggenheim, The Joyce Theater, Fall For Dance at New York City Center, and Vail Dance Festival. He is also a member of the Boston-based tap dance company Subject:Matter, directed by Ian Berg, and dances with Michela Marino Lerman's Love Movement.

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July 25, 2025

5:30pm: H.T. Chen and Dancers at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut:
Under the direction of Artistic Director Dian ****, H.T. Chen and Dancers is an innovative modern dance company that embodies its Asian American heritage. The company's repertory is distinguished by authenticity and groundbreaking works celebrating Chinese culture in the Americas. This summer at the Pillow, the company will present two signature works: Opening the Gate (described by The New York Times as "a throbbing, swirling spectacle") and Mott Street, which celebrates the resilience and collective spirit of the Chinatown community.

Since its founding in 1978, the multicultural company has earned critical acclaim for New York performances, national and international tours, and award-winning educational programming. Founder Hsueh-Tung Chen, a pioneering Asian American artist, was a choreographer, performer, and arts advocate for six decades. The New York Times wrote of him: "[he] has long been one of New York dance's most persuasive storytellers, addressing issues of acculturation well before they become fashionable in dance."

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July 26, 2025

5:30pm: BOCA TUYA at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut:
BOCA TUYA is a New York-based movement collective rooted in the rhythms, storytelling traditions, and cultural heritage of Puerto Rico. Founded in 2018 by choreographer Omar Román de Jesús—a member of the inaugural Jacob's Pillow Hicks Choreography Fellowship Program, Princess Grace choreography awardee, Dance Magazine Harkness Promise awardee, inaugural Baryshnikov Arts Center Fellow at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, and current resident at 92NY—the company crafts immersive dreamscapes that blend vibrant cadence, surrealist narratives, and unforgettable characters.

Through global tours, educational outreach, and choreographic commissions, BOCA TUYA empowers artists and cultivates authenticity, equity, and innovation with a distinct Boricua heartbeat, making work that is "full of sensual vulnerability; the effect is hypnotic." (Fjord Review). Honoring traditions and the ancestors who came before, the company connects past and present, while championing the excellence of New York's top contemporary dance artists.

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Festival Week 6:

July 31-Aug3:

Sekou McMiller & Friends:
Wednesday, Jul 30 7:30 PM 
Thursday, Jul 31 7:30 PM
Friday, Aug 1 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 2 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 2 7:30 PM
Sunday, Aug 3 2:00 PM

Sekou McMiller and Friends at Ted Shawn Theatre

World Premiere Live Music:
With a musical flair and explosive energy, dancer and choreographer Sekou McMiller is at the forefront of Afro Latin Dance performance and education. His unique fusion style, rooted in Afro-Caribbean traditions and laced with a range of dance techniques from the African diaspora, brought Jacob's Pillow audiences to their feet dancing last summer as Sekou McMiller and Friends performed on the outdoor stage.

For Festival 2025, in his Ted Shawn Theatre debut, McMiller will present the world premiere of Urban Love Suite, the latest incarnation of his dance and music project Afro Latin Jazz and Soul Experience. A joy-filled rhythmical journey through African American, Afro Latino/a/e and West African music and dance traditions, Urban Love Suite celebrates the cultural love affair between Black and Brown peoples, through encounters in cityscapes including Harlem, the Bronx, Dakar, São Paulo, Los Angeles, and Chicago. This world premiere is supported by the Joan B. Hunter New Work Commission.

McMiller's diverse career as a dancer, choreographer, and educator has garnered him broad recognition worldwide. His choreographic work has been featured at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dance Chicago, The Actors Fund Theater, New York City Center, Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Symphony Space, Edison Ballroom, and the United Nations General Assembly. He has appeared in films including In the Heights, performed off-Broadway, and performed and choreographed for Pitbull and Madonna and for top Latin music artists including Gilberto Santa Rosa, Willie Colón, Tito Rojas, and Tito Nieves. He has also performed at numerous Jacob's Pillow special events, participated in the Pillow Lab residency series, and served as Choreographer/Director of the Musical Theatre program at The School at Jacob's Pillow in 2024.

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July 31-Aug 3

Eun-Me Ahn:
Wednesday, Jul 30 8:00 PM 
Thursday, Jul 31 8:00 PM
Friday, Aug 1 2:30 PM
Saturday, Aug 2 2:30 PM
Saturday, Aug 2 8:00 PM
Sunday, Aug 3 2:30 PM

Eun-Me Ahn at Doris Duke Theatre

First Appearance Since 2000 U.S. Premiere:
Eun-Me Ahn is a leading artist of the Korean performing arts scene, known for her avant-garde choreographic worlds and technicolor productions. In her return to Jacob's Pillow for the first time since 2000, Ahn will present the official U.S. premiere of Dragons, a "spectacular" (BroadwayWorld) dance with tumbling and 3D holographic choreography that juggles speed, scale, and illusion.

The work was conceived before the pandemic and transformed by the reality of her initial cast of pan-Asian dancers being split and isolated through it. Dragons incorporates the 3D holographic presence of the remote cast with live choreography for eight on-stage dancers, many of whom were born in 2000—the year of the dragon on the Asian Zodiac calendar.

A graduate of contemporary dance at Ewha Womans University in Seoul and from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Ahn is internationally renowned, with over 150 pieces in her repertoire. Her work has toured widely in Asia and Europe through invitations from the Pina Bausch Foundation in Wuppertal, Germany, and an association with Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.

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Aug 1, 2025

5:30pm: Kara Jenelle and KaJe Movement Collective at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut World Premiere:
Kara Jenelle (KJ) Wade, MFA, is a powerhouse movement artist, choreographer, and teaching diplomat whose practice is deeply rooted in the African diaspora and Black social and street dance forms. With a movement style that blends West African, hip hop, dancehall, Afrobeats, and Afro-Caribbean techniques, she has captivated audiences worldwide. As both an artist and educator, KJ's dynamic approach to choreography and teaching has taken her to studios and festivals across more than 15 countries, from the United States to Taiwan, France, Nigeria, and beyond.

She has performed alongside icons such as Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, and Will Smith, using her success to amplify Black artists and culture on mainstream platforms. Her debut dance film, ÌYÁguration, celebrates the history of resilience and sisterhood among Black women, and was featured in multiple festivals and publications.

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Aug 2, 2025

5:30: Pua Ali'i 'Ilima o N?ioka at Henry J. Leir Stage

Live Music:
Pua Ali'i 'Ilima o N?ioka returns to the Henry J. Leir Stage for the first time since 2012. The mission of this h?lau hula (school of Hawaiian dance) is to preserve and perpetuate Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions for future generations. At the core of this mission is the sharing of hula, which has been instrumental in the preservation and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian language, art, and cultural practices.

The h?lau provides training for children, teens, and adults, as well as introductory hula workshops and classes, under the direction of N? Kumu Hula Vicky Holt Takamine and Jeffrey K?nekaiwilani Takamine. The h?lau hula is based in Honolulu, with extensions in Nuioka (New York City) and Kaua?i. This performance on the Leir Stage will feature haum?na (students) from the New York extension.

Vicky Holt Takamine is recognized as a native Hawaiian leader for her artistry and advocacy on social justice issues, the protection of native Hawaiian rights, and the natural and cultural resources of Hawaii. She is the recipient of the 2024 Gish Prize

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Festival Week 7:
Aug 6-10, 2025

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company:
Wednesday, Aug 6 7:30 PM 
Thursday, Aug 7 7:30 PM
Friday, Aug 8 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 9 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 9 7:30 PM
Sunday, Aug 10 2:00 PM

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company at Ted Shawn Theatre

First Appearance Since 2012:
Now in its 43rd year, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company is one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the contemporary dance world. Emerging from years of collaboration between Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane, their performances foreshadow issues of identity, form, and social commentary that would change the face of American dance.

A Tony Award-winning choreographer, dancer, and director, Bill T. Jones has received a MacArthur "Genius" Award, recognition at the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors, two Tony Awards for Best Choreography, and the 2010 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award. Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company has performed worldwide in over 200 cities, in 30 countries on six continents. The company has a storied history of performing at Jacob's Pillow, having appeared ten times previously, beginning in 1989 and most recently in 2012.

This summer, the company will present an electric program featuring two seminal works by its founders: Continuous Replay (1977/1991), an explosive work that traces its roots to Zane's interest in photography and film; and the exuberant Bessie Award-winning D-Man in the Waters (1989), a work set to music by Felix Mendelssohn that captures the resilience of a generation during the 1980s AIDS epidemic. In addition to these signature works, Jones will also present a pièce d'occasion: a site-based version of Story/Time (2012) with new stories and live music accompaniment by Ted Coffey.

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Aug 6-10, 2025

Shamel Pitts TRIBE:
Wednesday, Aug 6 8:00 PM 
Thursday, Aug 7 8:00 PM
Friday, Aug 8 2:30 PM
Saturday, Aug 9 8:00 PM
Sunday, Aug 10 2:30 PM

Shamel Pitts TRIBE at Doris Duke Theatre

Pillow Debut:
Dancer, artist, and choreographer Shamel Pitts creates provocative dance works that "push against the boundaries of identity" (Dance Magazine). His company TRIBE will perform Touch of RED, inspired by the rapid-fire footwork of boxing, the African American jazz dance style Lindy Hop, Gaga movement language, and nightlife culture. Set in a stylized ring, this dance duet examines the way Black men are perceived and perceive themselves in contemporary society.

This is a notable homecoming for Pitts and his company, whose Pillow Lab residency work on Touch of RED in November 2020 was disrupted when the original Doris Duke Theatre was lost to a fire. Since then, TRIBE premiered Touch of RED in a sold-out weekend in October 2022 at MASS MoCA, co-presented by Jacob's Pillow. This will be the first time this remarkable duet is performed at the Festival.

Pitts is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow, a 2024 Doris Duke Artist, and recently received a 2024 MacArthur Fellowship. He is the recipient of a 2018 Princess Grace Award in Choreography, a 2019 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Award in Choreography, and a 2024 Knight Choreography Prize. Pitts's "BLACK series" has toured extensively worldwide since 2016.

To complement his week-long performance run in the Doris Duke Theatre, Shamel Pitts has also been commissioned by Jacob's Pillow to create and release a digital-first work in summer 2025 and will create a series of cinematic 3D experiences, in collaboration with TRIBE's Transmedia Artist Lucca Del Carlo, that accompany his in-person performance of Touch of RED.

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Aug 6, 2025:

5:30: American College Dance Association at Henry J. Leir Stage:
Jacob's Pillow proudly hosts a night of performances by college and university dance programs from around the country, all selected from their American College Dance Association regional conference. Details on the selected ensembles will be announced in June.

The American College Dance Association (ACDA) supports and promotes a wealth of talent and creativity from college and university dance departments. Each spring, ACDA organizes eleven regional conferences at various member colleges and universities around the country, featuring performances, workshops, panels, and classes. These regional conferences provide the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and guest artists to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an anonymous and constructive setting. Adjudicators select works for the Gala Concert, a culminating event of the conference, and for the ACDA National College Dance Festival. Jacob's Pillow will select work from the National College Dance Festival to present on the Leir Stage.

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Aug 7, 2025

5:30pm: Ice Theatre of New York at  Henry J. Leir Stage:
Pillow Debut World Premiere:
Ice Theatre of New York is the first non-profit ice dance company in the nation, blending artistry and athleticism to elevate skating as a performing art. This one-night performance will allow Berkshire audiences a rare opportunity to enjoy ice skating in the summer, with dancers performing in skates atop a special flooring.

Founded in 1984 by Moira North, Ice Theatre of New York has presented over 125 original works from acclaimed skating, ballet, and modern dance choreographers. The company presents dozens of free public performances each season at iconic New York locations, including Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, and Central Park's Wollman Rink. With a diverse ensemble of skaters and a commitment to innovation, Ice Theatre of New York is a unique gem of New York's cultural scene, creating mesmerizing performances that merge dance, ice, and storytelling.

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Aug 8-9, 2025:

5:30pm: Michela Marino Lerman Henry J. Leir Stage:

Pillow Debut Live Music:
Michela Marino Lerman is a tap dancer, choreographer, musician, and educator, celebrated for her dynamic performances and innovative approach to tap. Recognized by Downbeat Magazine as "jazz's premier tap dancer," her work explores the intersection of tap and jazz, elevating tap as both dance and music.

A lifetime honorary member of The Copasetics and recipient of the Hoofer Award, Marino Lerman has performed at iconic venues like the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Mentored by tap legends Gregory Hines, Buster Brown, and others, she has collaborated with jazz greats including Wynton Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, and Jon Batiste. As a teacher, Marino Lerman shares her expertise at universities and tap festivals worldwide, continuing to push the boundaries of tap dance in music. In 2021, she was featured on one in a set of five Commemorative Forever Stamps, issued by the U.S. Postal Service, celebrating tap dance as an American art form.

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Festival Week 8:
Aug 13-17, 2025

Ballet BC:
Wednesday, Aug 13 7:30 PM 
Thursday, Aug 14 7:30 PM
Friday, Aug 15 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 16 2:00 PM
Saturday, Aug 16 7:30 PM
Sunday, Aug 17 2:00 PM

Ballet BC at Ted Shawn Theatre

First Appearance Since 2019 | U.S. Premiere:
Formed in 1986 and based in British Columbia, Ballet BC is well-known in Canada and around the world for pushing the physical and emotional boundaries of contemporary dance with performances that are "visually stunning and emotionally profound" (PBS). The company returns to the Ted Shawn Theatre stage for the first time since 2019 with a program that includes the U.S. premiere of BOLERO X by Shahar Binyamini, SWAY by the company's artistic director Medhi Walerski, and the U.S. premiere of Obsidian by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber.

Ballet BC presents a diverse repertoire in its international tours, as well as its regular runs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver. Collaborating choreographers include William Forsythe, Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, Medhi Walerski, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, Imre and Marne van Opstal, Adi Salant, Ji?í Pokorný, Micaela Taylor, Marco Goecke, Fernando Hernando Magadan, Dorotea Saykaly, and Aszure Barton. "We are a company," says Ballet BC, "that aims to create dance at its most essential: visceral, powerful, thought-provoking, and transformative."

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Aug 13-17, 2025

Faye Driscoll:
Wednesday, Aug 13 8:00 PM
Thursday, Aug 14 8:00 PM
Friday, Aug 15 2:30 PM
Saturday, Aug 16 8:00 PM
Sunday, Aug 17 2:30 PM
8:00pm: Faye Driscoll at Doris Duke Theatre

First Appearance Since 2018:
Faye Driscoll is a Jacob's Pillow Dance Award and Doris Duke Award-winning performance maker who has been hailed as a "startlingly original talent" by The New York Times and "a post-millenium postmodern wild woman" by The Village Voice. She returns to the Pillow to present Weathering, first developed in a Pillow Lab residency in 2022.

Weathering is a multi-sensory performance sculpture made of bodies, sounds, scents, liquids, and objects, in which ten people enact a glacially morphing tableau vivant on a mobile raft-like stage surging through the Anthropocene, with the audience embanking the performers. This symphonically active, luminously living work is a breathing, leaking, choreography of micro-events within a momentum thrusting from just beyond the perceivable.

Driscoll received the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award in 2018 and has been presented across the U.S. and internationally at Tanz im August, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, La Biennale di Venezia, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Melbourne Festival, Belfast International Arts Festival, Onassis Cultural Centre in Athens, and Centro de Arte Experimental in Buenos Aires.

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Aug 13, 2025

5:30pm: Benjamin Akio Kimitch at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut:
Jacob's Pillow welcomes Brooklyn-based artist and producer Benjamin Akio Kimitch for his Pillow debut with Tiger Hands. Inspired by his varied training in Chinese dance and intimate encounters with Peking opera, Kimitch crafts a vivid, world-building performance that honors his late mother, a Japanese American folk dancer and taiko drummer.

In Tiger Hands, Peking opera technique becomes a channel for reconnection, transformation, and personal expression. In this cosmic work, Kimitch and his collaborators—including Jeffrey Gan, Pareena Lim, Lai Yi Ohlsen, and Carlos Soto—draw on the experimental energy that birthed this artform, simultaneously preserving and expanding tradition. A 2024 Asian Cultural Council Fellow and 2023 Bessie Award winner, Kimitch has premiered his works at The Shed, The Noguchi Museum, Danspace Project, and more.

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Aug 14, 2025

5:30pm: New York Theatre Ballet at Henry J. Leir Stage

Live Music:
New York Theatre Ballet (NYTB) returns to Jacob's Pillow for the first time since 2016, celebrating their 46th season now under the direction of Steven Melendez, with a compelling repertoire featuring live music. The company presents works by a wide variety of choreographers and composers, performing small classic masterpieces and new contemporary works for adults and young children alike. Their engagement at Jacob's Pillow will be a mixed program that will include Gabrielle Lamb's Minetta Creek (a 2023 NYTB commission of new music and dance), Antony Tudor's Trio Con Brio (a revival of a piece premiered at Jacob's Pillow in 1952 and later rebuilt from archival film), and additional works.

Founded in 1978, New York Theatre Ballet has featured cutting-edge programming and an ever-expanding repertory. Carrying the modern sensibilities of both established and up-and-coming choreographers, the company has brought fresh insight to classic revivals, exploring the past while boldly taking risks on the future. The company tours nationally and abroad, and has become one of the most widely seen chamber ballet companies in the United States.

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Aug 15, 2025

2:30-5:30pm Community Day at Pillow Grounds

Everyone is invited to this free, kid-friendly, all-ages Friday afternoon, featuring movement classes as well as dance-themed children's activities and tours. Check back soon as events are confirmed.

5:30pm Artists of the Berkshires at Henry J. Leir Stage

The outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage hosts selected Berkshire-region artists for a special one-day-only performance. Tickets to this performance and all Community Day programs are free.

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Aug 16, 2025

5:30pm: The School at Jacob's Pillow: Tap Dance Performance Ensemble at Henry J. Leir Stage

World Premiere Live Music:
Performances by The School at Jacob's Pillow Performance Ensembles showcase the work of the next generation of dance artists. This performance is the culmination of a three-week Tap Dance Program, featuring original repertoire by leading choreographers who serve as Artist Faculty: Program Directors Derick K. Grant and Dormeshia.

Dancers of The School at Jacob's Pillow are apprentices, trainees, pre-professionals, and early-career professionals from around the world. The School's professional advancement programs are held onsite during the Festival to nurture the artistic voices and growth of the dancers.

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Festival Week 9:
Aug 20-24, 2025

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Ted Shawn Theatre

First Appearance by Full Company Since 1963:
An unrivaled force since 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most acclaimed dance companies in the world. With a repertory that boasts close to 300 works by more than 100 choreographers, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed in more than 70 countries on six continents, and has been designated by the United States Congress as a "vital American Cultural Ambassador to the World."

This summer at Jacob's Pillow, for the first time in 62 years, the full company of extraordinary dancers will bring to life audience favorites and thrilling new works by choreographers for whom Alvin Ailey paved the way, reminding us that dance is both a reflection of our past and a guide to our future.

Alvin Ailey began his close association with the Pillow in 1954 as a performer, choreographer, and acting director of the Lester Horton Dance Theatre, and he first brought his company here in 1959. He adapted Revelations from its original form for Pillow performances in 1961, and this landmark work—which has been internationally celebrated ever since—will be part of the company's mixed program this summer, along with Amy Hall Garner's CENTURY (2023) and Lar Lubovitch's Many Angels (2024). Additionally, the company will perform Cry (1971)—the signature work that Alvin Ailey created for Judith Jamison—on opening night only, Wednesday August 20.

In addition, programming on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage during this week will feature works by artists connected to the lineage illuminated in the Whitney Museum of American Art's recent Edges of Ailey, the first large-scale museum exhibition to celebrate Ailey's enduring legacy. Artists include Yusha-Marie Sorzano in her Pillow debut, a presentation of Sacred Songs by Matthew Rushing and Ailey Extension dancers, and the Pillow debut of HopeBoykinDance. Events on the outdoor stage are ticketed separately.

Forged during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. With dancers of all backgrounds, an extraordinary library of works, and wide-ranging collaborations with choreographers, it was truly the first modern dance company of its kind.

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Aug 20-24, 2025

Huang Yi at Doris Duke Theatre

Pillow Debut:
Named by Dance Magazine as one of the "25 to Watch" in 2011, Taiwanese dancer, choreographer, and inventor Huang Yi creates partnership between humans and robots. Huang will appear for his first-ever engagement at Jacob's Pillow to present Ink, in which he and audio-visual pioneer Ryoichi Kurokawa dismantle and reconstruct the lines from a hundred artworks in renowned calligrapher Tong Yang-Tze's Silent Music series.

Exploring textures of movement, sound, visual art, and space, Huang and his dancers perform alongside stunning holographic projection and two industrial robots. Mixing movement with mechanical and multimedia elements to create dance that corresponds with the flow of data, Ink makes each performer, whether human or machine, a dancing instrument.

Ink was co-commissioned by the National Taichung Theater and National Theater, Taipei in Taiwan and had its world premiere in June 2023.

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Aug 20, 2025

5:30pm: Yusha-Marie Sorzano at Henry J. Leir Stage

Pillow Debut:
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Yusha-Marie Sorzano is a dynamic dancer, choreographer, and educator. As a YoungArts alumni and graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, she performed principal roles with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and toured nationally and internationally with companies such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet, BODYTRAFFIC, and Camille A. Brown & Dancers. She has performed the works of choreographers including Dianne McIntyre, Kyle Abraham, Jermaine Spivey, and Spenser Theberge. Yusha is the choreographer of A Ballet Through Mud, a collaboration of music and dance by Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA.

For her Pillow debut, her collective Sorzano Dance Works will showcase works from her repertoire including To All Our Ends, Two Women, "Girl" (an excerpt from THREAT), and This World Anew. This World Anew was commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art on the occasion of their groundbreaking exhibition Edges of Ailey in fall 2024. Her engagement at Jacob's Pillow complements the week-long run of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the Ted Shawn Theatre, as Ailey's legacy resonates during this final week of Festival 2025. Tickets to indoor performances are sold separately.

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Aug 21-22, 2025

5:30pm: Matthew Rushing's Sacred Songs at Henry J. Leir Stage

Matthew Rushing joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a company member in 1992 and served as Interim Artistic Director from 2023 until this year. At Jacob's Pillow, he and dancers from the Ailey Extension will present Sacred Songs, A Journey of the Spiritual, commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art on the occasion of their groundbreaking exhibition Edges of Ailey. The work resurrects the omitted songs from the original production of Revelations to speak to our present need for lament, faith, and joy.

Rushing is a YoungArts alum, the recipient of a Spotlight Award and a Dance Magazine Award, and was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He has performed in Austria, Canada, France, Italy, and Russia, and for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as at the 2010 White House Dance Series. He has choreographed for PHILADANCO! and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. In his time with the Ailey company, Rushing has choreographed four ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009); ODETTA (2014); and Testament (2020), a collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano.

The Ailey Extension trains dancers through open classes taught by renowned instructors for people of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels from beginners to professionals. This two-night engagement complements the week-long run of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and performances of Revelations in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Tickets to indoor performances are sold separately.

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Date: June 25- Aug 24, 2025

Location: Various Venue in Becket

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