Virtual Pillow Views: September 2011

Greetings!

The month of September signals the beginning of the academic school year, something the Virtual Pillow team has been looking forward to. With all the new dance resources we are making available online via Dance Interactive, FORA.tv, Google Maps and YouTube, we are eager to see how arts educators incorporate these digital resources into their lesson plans. It is no coincidence that we chose this month to share "How to Look at Dance", with some wise and rarely-seen advice from the late great Bessie Schönberg. It is our hope that a whole new generation will benefit from her perspective and insight, while those lucky enough to have known her will treasure this familiar bit of wisdom.

Lisa Niedermeyer

Virtual Pillow Project Manager

How to Look at Dance: Bessie Schönberg

With this video addition, we are venturing more deeply into our treasure trove of recorded talks than ever before. This 13-minute excerpt of a 1986 informal lecture to Pillow interns by the seminal dance educator Bessie Schönberg fills a notable void in that no other such documentation of Bessie's infinite wisdom is available online. While the video is more than 25 years old, the advice that Bessie offers here is more timely than ever and it should be required viewing for anyone who attends dance performances.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet dances Jiří Kylián
As we continue to add more and more content to Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive, it's sometimes surprising to discover what's not already represented among the dozens and dozens of online clips. With the addition of Jiří Kylián's Stamping Ground, this Czech-born master choreographer can now be rightfully included among the other important dancemakers whose works are already accessible. The video was recorded just last month when Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returned to the Pillow.

Jomar Mesquita and Mimulus Dance Co.
One of the most interesting stories encompassed by a new feature-length documentary about Jacob's Pillow,

Never Stand Still, is that of Jomar Mesquita and his Brazilian company known as Mimulus. The film can be seen this month at the Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival, the Miami International Film Festival, and the Port Townsend Film Festival. And a new clip from Mimulus's 2007 Pillow appearance can be seen right here! Jomar taught in The School at Jacob's Pillow this July as director of the Samba Program.

Discussing Dances for an iPhone
One of this summer's most notable PillowTalks concerned dances specially created to be seen on the small screen of an iPhone. You can find out more from this nine-minute excerpt with choreographer Richard Daniels and two of his dancers, Deborah Jowitt and Carmen De Lavallade. On the same day, Carmen was saluted at the annual Ted Shawn Circle event, highlighting some of her many Pillow appearances, such as John Butler's Portrait of Billie as seen in this performance from 1992.

In Case You Missed It (links from past Virtual Pillow Views)

Header Photo Credits (left to right): Ted Shawn, photo Shapiro Studios; Drew Jacoby, photo Liza Voll; Cynthia Gregory, photo ©Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos; Savion Glover, photo Len Irish; Shantala Shivalingappa, photo C.P. Satyajit