Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Rokafella and Kwikstep, d. Sabela grimes and the Ladies of Hip-Hop to join ‘Hip Hop Across the Pillow’ along with several one-night-only performances
July 5, 2023 (BECKET, Mass.) — In Week 6 of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Pillow celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop—the diverse culture and art movement catalyzed in the Bronx in August 1973—with a “festival within the Festival.” From Aug. 2-6 in the Ted Shawn Theatre, the one-of-a-kind program “Hip Hop Across the Pillow” will feature dance artists including Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Rokafella and Kwikstep, and d. Sabela grimes and the Ladies of Hip-Hop. Week 6 of the festival will also feature several one-night-only performances on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage, featuring tap dancer and vocalist Brinae Ali on Aug. 2, and additional performers in “Hip Hop Across the Pillow”: Nefer Global Movement on Aug. 3, and KR3TS Dance Company and The Hood Lockers on Aug. 4. Performances on the Leir Stage are available on a Choose What You Pay model. Tickets for all performances are now on sale.
In addition to these onsite and online performances, an All Styles Dance Battle will take place on Fri., Aug. 4. Audiences will watch dancers representing a wide range of styles, and cheer on contestants. On Saturday, a free PillowTalk will be held in Blake’s Barn at 4pm, with a panel of illustrious artists to discuss the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Also on Saturday is a tribute To Chet Walker (1954-2022) on the Leir Stage at 6pm, celebrating the award-winning director/choreographer and former Program Director of the Musical Theatre Program of The School at Jacob’s Pillow. Rounding out the mini-festival is a hip hop workshop on Sunday morning with Rennie Harris Puremovement dancers for intermediate/advanced dancers, ages 16+.
“Our Associate Curators Melanie George and Ali Rosa-Salas have curated a hip hop take-over of Jacob’s Pillow in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop,” said Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow. “Audiences will experience the breadth and richness of hip hop in this country today including two world premieres in the Shawn and an all-styles dance battle designed to highlight the vibrancy of this form and culture that has embedded itself around the world. This week, we also pay tribute to the late Chet Walker, renowned jazz director/choreographer who served as Director of the Musical Theatre Dance Program at Jacob’s Pillow for over twenty years.”
A uniquely curated performance, “Hip Hop Across the Pillow” features a performance by Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theatre, returning to the Pillow after 13 years. Harris has been celebrated as a pioneer of hip hop dance theater, who has “literally embodied the history of hip hop dance” (The London Times). This year, Rennie Harris Puremovement will be celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Joining Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theatre is the world premiere of two works commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow specifically for the Festival: a new duet by breakdance icons Rokafella and Kwikstep, whose work was supported with a Pillow Lab residency earlier this year; and a new group work by Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artists d. Sabela grimes and the Ladies of Hip-Hop. Conceived by grimes, this piece is made possible by the Joan B. Hunter New Work commission.
Opening the week of one-night-only Choose What You Pay performances on the outdoor Leir Stage is tap dancer and choreographer Brinae Ali on Wednesday. An interdisciplinary artist and vocalist, Ali will perform alongside her band members in an evening of dance with live music. Ali will lead the audience on a journey through the rich sound textures of jazz and tap culture in her performance.
On Thursday, all-women’s dance collective Nefer Global Movement will perform on the outdoor stage. The wide-ranging collective of empowering dancers, representing multiple street and club dance styles, gather to create a passionate shared platform and celebrate women and girls of color within dance, music, art and fashion.
KR3TS Dance Company (Keep Rising to the Top), based in New York City, and The Hood Lockers, based in Philadelphia, will take the Leir Stage on Friday. KR3TS Dance Company promotes the preservation of cultural dances based in Spanish Harlem, and strives to broaden the notion of what a dancer is – opening the door to many in the Spanish Harlem community to learn dance. The Hood Lockers are a group devoted to the cultural preservation and progression of Locking, the iconic early 1970s street dance created by Don “Campbellock” Campbell.
ABOUT RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT AMERICAN STREET DANCE THEATER
Called “the Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene” by The London Times, Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris is noted as the pioneer of “street dance theater” and “hip hop concert dance,” terms he has coined throughout his career. Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Harris has embraced hip hop culture and sought to honor its legacy as drawing from the heritage from African and African American-Latinx culture.
Harris has dedicated his career to bringing hip hop and Street dance to all people. Harris is a powerful voice for the significance of “street” origins in any dance style, and has focused on bringing “social” dances to the concert stage. The New York Times credits Harris with ushering “hip hop and street dance into new spaces” and “championing their history and legacy.”
Harris believes that hip hop, because of its cross-racial and transnational popularity, can help bridge divisions among racial, religious, and economic boundaries. With this artistic philosophy as his motivation, Harris founded Rennie Harris Puremovement (RHPM) in 1992, a street dance theater company dedicated to preserving and disseminating hip hop aesthetics and Street dance culture through workshops, lectures, residencies, mentoring programs, and performances.
RHPM, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, has presented over a dozen narrative-driven evening length works, exploring racism, sexism, and other cultural issues. Harris has been awarded three Bessie Awards, four Alvin Ailey Black Choreographer’s Awards for his signature evening length work Rome & Jewels, an Ethnic Dance Award, and the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts for choreography.
ABOUT ROKAFELLA AND KWIKSTEP
Ana “Rokafella” Garcia, also known as La Roka, is a New York City-based dancer, teacher, and advocate for women in hip hop. Named by Latina magazine as “one of the most iconic b-girls in hip hop history,” Rokafella teaches workshops which celebrate the roots, history, and technique of Hip hop, alongside hosting breaking sessions throughout New York since 1997. As an educator, she has been an adjunct professor at The New School, and a dance instructor at NJPAC, and recently appeared in the film In the Heights.
Rokafella is also known for her choreography and direction. Her dance work Beauty Meets Beast explores the duality of women in Street and Club Dance, and her documentary “All the Ladies Say” highlights the lives and influential work of b-girls. An interdisciplinary artist, Rokafella is also a model, vocalist, and poet, and recently appeared in the film In the Heights.
An international icon in breaking, Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio, also known as DJ KS 360, is an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and teacher from New York City. At the age of 19, Kwikstep was touring internationally with the “New York Express,” which included a twelve city tour of China. Kwikstep’s other credits include VH1’s Hip Hop Honors, PBS’s Peabody Award-winning “Everybody Dance Now,” Kurt Weill’s “September Songs,” and integral rap music videos in the Netflix series The Get Down.
In 1991 and 1992, Kwikstep was awarded the Bessie Award for choreography, and in 2017 he received the National Teachers Award from the American Dance Festival. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Queens College.
In 1992, Kwikstep founded Full Circle Productions, a New York based hip hop company that has since gained international recognition. A husband and wife team, Rokafella and Kwikstep worked together with the help of Violeta Galagarza, choreographer and founder of dance company Keep Rising To The Top (KR3TS), to establish Full Circle Productions as a nonprofit organization in 1996.
With the direction of Kwikstep and Rokafella, Full Circle Productions aspires to provide training to hip hop dancers with a focus on the cultural roots, trajectory and growth of classical styles, and the global and commercial representation of hip hop. Alongside Full Circle Productions, Kwikstep and Rokafella have produced their own hip hop variety show, Kwik2Rok, on BronxNet TV that features Street and Club dance culture workers spanning the generational timeline.
Together, Kwikstep and Rokafella have become “full-fledged activists and power players” (RedBull). The duo heads a national project called the United Hip Hop Vanguard, alongside a small group of other breaking cultural producers, to uplift breaking dancers in the United States while intentionally centering Black voices, people, and aesthetics in the process.
ABOUT d. SABELA GRIMES
d. Sabela grimes is a trans-media artist and educator lauded by the Los Angeles Times as “a master storyteller” and “the Los Angeles dance world’s best kept secret.” Previously, grimes co-authored and performed in Rennie Harris Puremovement’s award-winning Rome & Jewels. Since working with RHPM, he has amassed a catalog of interdisciplinary performance work. Considered one of the most innovative artists in his field with an invigorating stage presence, grimes’ dance theater projects include World War WhatEver, 40 Acres & A Microchip, and ELECTROGYNOUS. His current collaborative endeavor with Meena Murugesan, Parable of Portals, dreams Octavia E. Butler’s body of work, including Butler’s personal writing and unfinished manuscripts, into modular multi-disciplinary performance/installation experiences. Improvisational systems and collaboration are at the heart of his creative practice breathing through layers of interconnected sonic, visual and kinesthetic arrangements.
grimes is a 2021 National Dance Project Production Grant Awardee, 2021 Bessie Award recipient for Outstanding Performer, 2017 County of Los Angeles Performing Arts Fellow and 2014 United States Artists Rockefeller Fellow. On faculty at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, he continues to cultivate Funkamental MediKinetics, a movement system that draws on the layered dance training, community building, and spiritual practices evident in Black vernacular, hip hop and Street dance forms. Sabela loves pancakes, speculative fiction, and his KinFolk.
ABOUT THE LADIES OF HIP-HOP
New York-based Ladies of Hip-Hop (LOHH) is a nonprofit organization focused on elevating girls & women in hip hop culture through artistic opportunities. LOHH strives to educate and cultivate hip hop’s next generation of female leaders through female-powered workshops, performances, public talks, and professional development training. Through its programming, LOHH amplifies a platform for girls and women to be heard, seen, respected, and celebrated in the world of hip hop.
Originally running single day workshops, LOHH now produces a week-long international festival including female DJs, Mcees, and graffiti and visual artists from around the world. Their intergenerational dance collective, Ladies of Hip-Hop Dance Collective (LDC), creates works that center feminist narratives and explores the intersections of gender, race, and resistance with the direction and choreography of Michele Byrd-McPhee. LDC places an emphasis on the freestyle, cipher, and call and response aspects of street and club dance culture, while exploring theatrical concert performance. Their works illuminate the strength, power, and diversity of women in hip hop, and seek to serve as a living archive of hip hop’s culture of resiliency through the female lens.
ABOUT BRINAE ALI
Born and raised in Flint, MI, Brinae Ali is an interdisciplinary artist who believes in using the power of the arts to transform the conditions of the human spirit. Tap dancer, choreographer, and vocalist, Ali puts her “invigorating, inspirational, progressive” imaginings into her performances alongside her band members. Ali has traveled and performed internationally, including a tour of five cities in Russia in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy cultural exchange program celebrating National Tap Dance Day. Broadway and off-broadway experience includes Shuffle Along and STOMP.
Off stage, Ali is a dedicated educator and grassroots organizer. Ali served as the artistic director of Tapology, Inc., a youth based outreach program in Flint that believes in preserving the art of tap and jazz culture through education and performance. She has also worked with organizations such as Ping Chong and Company, NJPAC, Moving History in Baltimore, and the Apollo Theater Education Department.
Currently, Ali is a lecturer at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory for Music and Dance. At John Hopkins, Ali is developing a work in progress with trumpeter Sean Jones called “Dizzy Spellz,” utilizing dance and music to articulate the African American experience through the music of Dizzy Gillespie. She is also a member of the Baltimore Jazz Collective, and a cultural ambassador for diplomacy through the lens of hip hop culture with Next Level-USA.
ABOUT NEFER GLOBAL MOVEMENT
An international dance collective, the members of Nefer Global Movement gather from across continents and oceans to build meaningful relationships and sisterhood through connection and collaboration. At the forefront of Nefer Global Movement’s mission is celebration of individual and shared histories, opportunities for expression, and the chance to watch other members thrive. Their title “Nefer,” which means “beautiful on the inside and out” in ancient Kemet (Egypt), marks the group’s commitment to honoring their histories, and serves as a reminder of their collective power and strength.
Since a serendipitous collaboration of a few artists – and would be members – at a dance event in Amsterdam in 2018, Nefer Global Movement has united women through their art. Members have contributed to Harvard University’s Visiting Dance Innovators Program and the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance through choreographic residencies.
ABOUT KR3TS (Keep Rising to the Top) DANCE COMPANY
Based in Spanish Harlem, KR3TS (Keep Rising to the Top) Dance Company plays a strong role in the community by providing a positive alternative to social and street pressures through dance classes and support programs. KR3TS Dance Company strives to broaden the notion of what a dancer is, and centers a non-discriminating atmosphere in all of their work. Also core to their mission is the preservation of the ethnic and cultural dances in Spanish Harlem, catering to the children and young adults of lower to middle income families in Latinx communities.
Through their core-performance group, KR3TS Dance Company has fostered pre-professional dancers for over 30 years and encourages members to express their talents, set goals, and strive for what they believe in. KR3TS Dance Company was founded by award-winning choreographer Violet Galagarza, who has gained acclaim for her integration of traditional dances with hip hop and street dance. KR3TS dancers have starred in In The Heights, and performed with artists such as Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez.
ABOUT THE HOOD LOCKERS
The Hood Lockers formed in 2005 as a “group of brothers united in funk,” devoting their lives to the cultural preservation and progression of Locking. Although the group’s members perform a variety of styles of street dance, their common purpose is an enthusiasm for the iconic early 1970s street dance created by Don “Campbellock” Campbell. Inspired by Don and the Lockers—the pioneers of this style—the Hood Locker’s are known for their ability to capture the essence of the iconic group.
Alongside developing a mastery of Locking, the Hood Lockers serve as educators and influencers of this culture, learning valuable lessons from iconic pioneers and leaders in the Locking community. Always inspired by the hunger for a deeper understanding of “the true essence of getting down,” the Hood Lockers are committed to a path of enrichment, education, and inspiration through workshops and performances.
Jacob’s Pillow Connections
Rennie Harris Puremovement made their Pillow Debut in the 1997 Festival program “Jazz Tap/Hip Hop.” Since their debut, Puremovement performed five seasons at the Pillow: in the 2000 summer Festival, with their award-winning work Rome & Jewels, and in 2003, 2005, and 2009. In 2005, Rennie Harris directed the Cultural Traditions Program “In the Presence of Hip Hop,” a part of the summer festival including hip hop performances and workshops. In 2009, Harris directed the School at Jacob’s Pillow program entitled Cultural Traditions: The Hip Hop Continuum.
In February 2023, Rokafella and Kwikstep had a Pillow Lab residency to build a new duet in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, which premieres in “Hip Hop Across the Pillow.”
d. Sabela Grimes first performed at the Pillow in 2000 as a principal dancer and co-author of the Rennie Harris Puremovement work Rome & Jewels. Grimes returned again with Puremovement for three seasons. Grimes has been the music and sound designer for several companies which have performed at the Pillow: David Roussève/REALITY (Festival 2014 and 2019), and CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater (Festival 2021).
The Ladies of Hip-Hop Dance Collective made their Pillow debut in summer 2021, as a part of the On The Road performance series; with free pop-up performances around Berkshire County. In February of 2022, the Ladies of Hip-Hop returned for a Pillow Lab residency to further develop their Black Dancing Bodies Project. In August 2022, the group premiered their Black Dancing Bodies Project on the Henry J. Leir Stage.
In 2022, Brinae Ali performed in Unsung Sheroes of the 20th Century as a vocalist and dancer, a work commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow for its 90th anniversary season with artistic director Dormeshia. This piece was part of the evening length program America(na) To Me.
Keep Rising to the Top (KR3TS) Dance Company made their Pillow debut in Festival 2003 with choreography by Violeta Galagarza, as a part of the Inside/Out performance series on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage.
PERFORMANCE & TICKET DETAILS
Hip Hop Across the Pillow
Aug. 2 – 6, Wed., Thurs. and Sat. at 8pm; Fri.-Sun. at 2pm
Ted Shawn Theatre
Tickets from $60
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
Brinae Ali
Wed., Aug. 2, 6pm
Henry J. Leir Stage
Choose What You Pay
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
Nefer Global Movement
Thurs., Aug. 3, 6pm
Henry J. Leir Stage
Choose What You Pay
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
KR3TS Dance Company and The Hood Lockers
Fri., Aug. 4, 6pm
Henry J. Leir Stage
Choose What You Pay
Tickets are on sale now; online at jacobspillow.org and via phone at 413.243.0745
ALSO THIS WEEK
All Styles Dance Battle
Fri., Aug. 4, 8:30pm.
Perles Family Studio
Tickets from $50
Join us for our All Styles Dance Battle as dancers representing a wide range of styles—including Festival artists, dancers of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, regional street artists, and more—compete in this lively battle. Audience members play a part in the action, circled around some of the best performers across multiple genres as dancers battle it out up-close and personal.
PillowTalk: Hip Hop at 50
Sat., Aug. 5, 4pm
Blake’s Barn
FREE
The 50th anniversary of hip hop has focused new attention on this enduring culture and art movement, with a panel of illustrious artists on hand to explore it all.
In Studio Pause in the Process Showing: Tap Dance
Sat., Aug. 5, 1-1:45pm
Perles Family Studio
In-person and on Instagram Live
Join Artist Faculty and School dancers for informal sharings of their work in the studio together. Held in the Perles Family Studio. Seating is limited; priority entry given to visitors who pre-register online. Registration is now open.
To Chet Walker: A Celebratory Tribute
Sat., Aug. 5, 6pm
Henry J. Leir Stage
Choose What You Pay
Join us to celebrate Chet Walker (1954-2022). On Broadway from the age of 16, Chet went on to become a multi-award-winning director/choreographer. He dedicated 20 years to mentor and support performers of The School at Jacob’s Pillow as Program Director of the Musical Theatre Program; and continually offered his artistic, emotional, and financial support to them right up until the day he passed on October 21, 2022. He loved being on stage and helping performers find a place for themselves there, too. This heartfelt tribute performance features Alumni and Artist Faculty of The School at Jacob’s Pillow.
Workshop with Festival Artists: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater
Sun., Aug. 6, 10-11:30am
$25
Intermediate/advanced dancers, ages 16+
Join Rodney Hill, Maggie Waller, and Rachel Snider for a workshop exploring Hip Hop styles as sources of inspiration for vocabulary and choreography. Participants are led through movement that is technically tied to complex, invigorating, uplifting, and driving rhythms. Movements and techniques emphasizing strength, flexibility, and stamina will be defined and developed into combinations. Participants should wear sneakers (no bare feet, socks, or jazz shoes, please) and loose fitting clothing. Come with an open mind and positive energy to learn dance styles that have emerged from the African American and Latino communities of inner-city America. Pre-registration strongly encouraged at jacobspillow.org.
In Studio Observation in The School
Perles Family Studio
Quiet observation of classes and rehearsals inside the Perles Family Studio will be open from 10:45am-12:15 p.m. and 2:30-4pm, Tuesday through Friday, June 20–Aug. 18, on a first come, first served basis. In the case of inclement weather, School observation hours will not be held.
Morning Classes
Sommers Studio
Tues. and Wed. 8-9 am, Thurs. and Fri. 9-10 am, Jun. 27-Aug.25
$12 per class
A variety of in-person dance and movement classes open to participants of all experience levels, including beginners, ages 16+ (sorry, no exceptions). Tuesday classes are body conditioning/pilates, Wednesday classes are modern/contemporary, Thursday classes are ballet, and Friday classes are West African/hip hop. Pay via online pre-registration at jacobspillow.org/morningclasses or cash/card at the door.
FESTIVAL 2023 EXHIBITS & ARCHIVES—ONGOING
Welcoming the World
Blake’s Barn
Tuesday-Sunday, noon through final curtain
FREE
From the first international artists who performed here in the 1940s to today, Jacob’s Pillow has long
worked to connect audiences with all kinds of dance. As people now emerge from extended isolation,
the need for cultural exchange is keener than ever. Using historic photos and moving images that span
the globe and transcend time, this exhibition demonstrates the wide-ranging definition of dance that has always epitomized the Pillow’s worldview. Co-curated by Tanisha Jones, Hari Krishnan, and Norton Owen.
Envisioning a New Theater
Ted Shawn Theatre Lobby
Open daily, noon through final curtain
FREE
An international team of architects and designers/consultants led by Netherlands-based Mecanoo are now busily planning a new Doris Duke Theatre, reimagining the beloved structure consumed by fire in 2020. On display here are color renderings, a scale model, video simulations, and other resources to help audiences visualize this exciting new building project and its design process. With a projected opening in 2025, the Doris Duke Theatre is envisioned as a versatile home for dance-making and performance in the 21st century. Co-curated by Katy Dammers and Norton Owen.
Fantasy Meets Reality: The Far East Tour
Blake’s Barn Special Collections Room
Tuesday-Sunday, noon through final curtain
FREE
Denishawn’s Asian tour in 1925-26 proved pivotal in the artistic evolution of Ted Shawn and Ruth St.
Denis, as their famous oriental dance fantasies encountered authentic Asian dances and audiences.
Shawn and St. Denis spent months studying with local artists, buying up hordes of set and costume
pieces. Their return set off a renaissance of Western interest in authentic Asian dance, opening doors for Asian and Asian American artists. Today, costumes from the Far East Tour challenge us to grapple with how to share culture with integrity. Co-curated by Phil Chan and Caroline Hamilton.
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
Jacob’s Pillow Archives/Norton Owen Reading Room
Blake’s Barn
Tuesday-Sunday, noon through final curtain
FREE
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.
ABOUT JACOB’S PILLOW:
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. 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, currently in its 91st season. 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 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.
Jacob’s Pillow is grateful to its global community of supporters and Members for their ongoing support for our mission. Major institutional support for Jacob’s Pillow is provided by the Alphadyne Foundation, Arbella Insurance Foundation, Arison Arts Foundation, Arnhold Foundation, Barr Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, Mellon Foundation, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Mill Town Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, and Jacob’s Pillow Business Partners (as of May 23, 2023).