Some memories stay vividly with you even after 67 years. The memory of my first visit to Jacob’s Pillow in 1956 is such a memory.
I was attending Belgian Village Camp located in Cummington, MA. While I was only thirteen, a close friend of my Mom’s knew of my strong interest in teaching dance. She had a good friend who ran the camp and contacted her, sharing my interest. I was given a scholarship with the understanding that I would teach the younger kids dance. I was thrilled.
It was a wonderful summer and I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the young girls creative movement, much as I had learned from my teacher Genevieve Jones. And the highlight was when a group of us was taken to Jacob’s Pillow for an afternoon performance.
In a rustic theatre, the performance began with Ted Shawn introducing himself to us and telling us about Jacob’s Pillow. I don’t remember his exact words, but my thirteen-year-old self knew he was a very important person and spoke to us in a very dignified manner.
Later I would learn just how important a figure he was in the creation of American modern dance. A New York Times article written by Clive Barnes shortly after his death gives good insight into his role:
THE death of Ted Shawn shortly after his 80th birthday brings to an end a whole era in American dance. Shawn, together with his wife, the late Ruth St. Denis, was largely responsible for the creation of American modern‐dance.
It was in 1915 that Shawn and his wife started the original Denishawn School in Los Angeles, and from this school emerged the first generation of American modern dancers, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. These were the new pioneers of American modern‐dance, and Shawn was their spiritual father. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/16/archives/ted-shawn-18911972.html
The current Jacob’s Pillow website points out that in 1930 Shawn purchased a “rundown farm in the Berkshires known as Jacob’s Pillow … and that laid the groundwork for both his revolutionary company of men dancers and America’s oldest dance festival.”
On YouTube you can watch a piece of his company of men performing
When our camp visited the Pillow, Shawn said the performance that day would let us see three different kinds of dance: modern, ethnic and ballet. I do not remember the modern or ethnic dance performances at all, but having the opportunity to see Alicia Markova dance “The Dying Swan” was breathtaking.
Markova was 46 when I saw her perform, and the emotion and delicacy that she exhibited, especially in her arms, stood out. She had begun performing when she was just 14, discovered by Diaghilev. After her time with the Ballet Russes she moved to London and danced with the Sadler Wells Ballet Company and was noted for her partnership with Anton Dolin. On YouTube you can find excerpts of her dancing The Dying Swan and also Giselle with Anton Dolin as her partner.
The summer at Belgian Village opened my eyes to new possibilities ahead and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to begin exploring my teaching abilities and to visit Jacob’s Pillow.
Now living in Costa Rica, I don’t get many opportunities to see dance, so I am very glad that Jacob’s Pillow is now making so much available online. Some videos and films are free and that includes the short films that are a part of Inside the Pillow Lab and some longer films that are part of Pillow Talk. It is a great resource both for gaining a historical perspective and for knowing what is happening now. For example, one film of historical note in Pillow Talk is “Ann Hutchinson Guest: A Century +”:
Celebrating the life of dance notation pioneer Ann Hutchinson Guest (1918-2022), her legacy and deep Pillow roots are explored by friends, family, and fans including Norton Owen, Michael Richter, Tina Curran, and Melanie Dana, with many video clips of Guest herself. (1:00:37)
The Pillow Lab videos are short interviews with choreographers, about the work they created while at Jacob’s Pillow. While they are talking, we see dancers moving with phrases from the developing piece. The videos are short and informative with a diverse group of choreographers.
There is also a pay-for-events section where one can select films of past performances at Jacob’s Pillow. Currently streaming now and available for a fee of $15 is the Limon Dance Company which is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary. It was added on January 9th and will be available until February 19th. Once you pay you may watch the performance as many times as you like. Also available are pre- and post-show talks related to the performance, and these are free.
So even if you can’t make an in-person trip to the Pillow, you have lots of options to watch, many for free and some costing $15.
If you have studied at Jacob’s Pillow, performed there or attended a memorable performance, I invite you to add a comment — or better yet, to contact me to do a guest post about your experience.
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