Jacob’s Pillow Dance celebrates yet another successful Festival season
Becket – Jacob’s Pillow Dance celebrates yet another successful Festival season of internationalism, artist experimentation and development, world class education and an overwhelming number of performances, talks, and events offered to the public at no charge. In 2008 Executive Director Ella Baff continued her programming mission to bring new and never before seen artists and works to the United States.Forty-eight dance companies from Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America took part in this year’s Festival. Continuing its mission to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance, the organization also presented a total of 200 performances, events, and talks which were free and open to the public. Between performances, exhibits, the Pillow Archives, talks, community classes and public events, nearly 80,000 people experienced Jacob’s Pillow this Festival season.
Jacob’s Pillow Board Chairman Neil Chrisman comments, “Every year, the Pillow finds new ways to further the art of dance through progressive programming, world-class professional training at The School, audience education programs, inclusive and engaging community programs, and much more. I am proud to support an organization that consistently makes artistry a top priority while also remaining fiscally stable. Jacob’s Pillow is the ultimate advocate for the art of dance and continues to set the bar for the performing arts industry as a whole.”
Jacob’s Pillow 2008 Festival season by the numbers:
* The 2008 Festival season boasted a total of 158 free and ticketed performances by 48 different dance companies representing 10 countries and five continents.
* The Pillow presented 14 world premieres of work including Trey McIntyre’s Leatherwing Bat and Surrender as well as Kate Weare’s Bridge of Sighs.
* The organization also presented eight works never before seen in the U.S. including Uprising and In your rooms choreographed by Hofesh Shechter; Alice, performed by the Japanese contemporary company Natural Dance Theatre; and Dolores by Mimulus, of Brazil.
* Out of all the programs, 14 featured live music including Bill T. Jones’ Chapel/Chapter and Kuchipudi master Shantala Shivalingappa’s Gamaka.
* Four programs, David Michalek’s Slow Dancing, Kate Weare Company/Maureen Fleming, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and A Jazz Happening, were exclusive to the Pillow.
* Two companies, Hofesh Shechter Company and Natural Dance Theatre, made their U.S. debuts at the Pillow and Trey McIntyre Project made its company world debut.
* More than 570 artists graced the three stages of Jacob’s Pillow: the Inside/Out performance space, the Ted Shawn Theatre, and the Doris Duke Studio Theatre.
* One hundred eight dancers from 43 countries trained at The School at Jacob’s Pillow in five professional development programs: Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary Traditions, Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, and Choreographers Lab.
* Included in the Pillow’s 200 free offerings were 112 Pre-Show Talks, 19 Post-Show Talks, nine Community Day workshops and performances, 20 lecture-style PillowTalks, and 40 Inside/Out performances.
* More than 14,000 patrons experienced a free Inside/Out performance on the Pillow’s outdoor stage, despite a summer of rain.
* More than 19,000 patrons visited the Pillow Archives or attended a free exhibit, pre or post-performance talk, or PillowTalk with legends of the dance field and beyond.
* Nearly 2,000 people participated in a range of dance classes, offered throughout the Festival season.
* Attendance for the organization’s annual Member Day doubled from 2007.
This season’s total ticketed income surpassed the total ticketed incomes of 2006, 2005, 2004, and 2003, and came quite close to that of 2007, the organization’s record-breaking 75th anniversary year. On average, the ticketed theatres ran at 88% capacity this season, surpassing the 65% dance industry standard. Additional performances were also added to the weeklong runs of Mimulus and Trey McIntyre Project, due to high ticket demand.
The annual operating budget of the Pillow—including the stewardship of its 163 wooded acres and 31 historic buildings—is approximately $5 million dollars. Ticket sales account for approximately 30% of the annual budget and the balance is raised from a variety of sources, which this year included funds contributed through the Pillow’s membership program; the annual benefit Gala; A Jazz Happening, benefiting The School at Jacob’s Pillow; and grants and foundation funding.
This season also marked the second annual presentation of the Jacob’s Pillow Award for Creativity, which includes a $25,000 no-strings-attached cash gift given to an outstanding artist or choreographer. This year’s recipient was Alonzo King, artistic director of San Francisco-based based Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet.
Jacob’s Pillow functions on a year-round basis, executing numerous community and artist programs in the fall, winter, and spring. This fall includes a co-presentation of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an internationally renowned all-male ballet company that performs classic works in full costume, makeup and en pointe, at MASS MoCA on October 10 and 11, 2008. The organization also hosts Creative Development Residencies for artists during the fall and winter months, providing rehearsal space, housing, and resource support for invited dance companies to create new work. Jacob’s Pillow Curriculum-in-Motion®, integrates artist educators into Berkshire County public schools and provides students with expanded methods of learning traditional subjects. The Pillow’s extensive Archives are also open to the public year-round: appointments are by request in the fall, winter, and spring and can be made by contacting Norton Owen, Director of Preservation, at 413-243-9919x50. For additional information on Jacob’s Pillow visit www.jacobspillow.org.
Jacob’s Pillow celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007 and is home to a renowned international dance Festival, presenting and commissioning works of artists and companies from throughout the world. The School at Jacob’s Pillow encompasses a professional training program in the diverse disciplines of Ballet, Cultural Traditions, Contemporary Traditions, Jazz/Musical Theatre Dance, and a Choreographers Lab, as well as an Intern Program. The Pillow’s extensive Archives, open year-round to the public free of charge, chronicle more than 75 years of the often ephemeral and elusive art form of dance in print, video, and more. Jacob’s Pillow’s year-round Community Programs enrich the lives of children and adults, and the Creative Development Residency program supports artists as they create, yet another piece of the Pillow’s cultural legacy. In 2003, Jacob's Pillow was declared a National Historic Landmark and is the first and only dance entity in the U.S. to achieve this honor.
