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July 2012
Greetings!
Summer fun comes in many different forms, as this month's additions to Virtual Pillow illustrate quite clearly. Whether your idea of a good time involves the provocative implications of red high heels, or the funky fashions and fads of the 1970s, or sublime dancing accompanied by live classical music, you'll find something here to love. This month's message is a bit late because we're in the midst of the 80th Anniversary Festival, with all the nonstop activity and excitement you might imagine. We will continue sending highlights from the current season in the months ahead, and hope you'll enjoy the summer diversions featured below in the meantime. 
Norton Owen
Director of Preservation
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
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This Australian company opened the current season in the Doris Duke Theatre, and the virtuosic duet seen here was also featured in the Gala. Anyone who has ever felt 'walked all over' might relate to this clip, with just a taste of how skilfully the company explores the junction between circus arts and dance.
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David Dorfman Dance
Recorded in August of last season, this clip will leave some viewers hungry for more music from Sly and the Family Stone. Kyle Abraham, recipient of the 2012 Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, may be seen prominently in a choice passage from David Dorfman's exuberant Prophets of Funk.
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Mark Morris Dance Group
The visual symmetry and exuberant ensemble dancing on display in this 2011 excerpt from V combine with Schumann's music to offer a special thrill. Anna Kisselgoff called this "one of the few great works that modern dance has produced in a decade," and you can see for yourself why she might feel so strongly.
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 Twyla Tharp Dance
Tharp herself leads the way with 100 community members
dressed in vintage 1960s costumes. This is the 2001 revival
of The One Hundreds, a classic Tharp romp to Jerry Lee
Lewis music that mashes up a hundred different dance
phrases in characteristic style.
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Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker,
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this rare 1996 clip is to
see these three eminent tappers improvising on the spot.
While Slyde and Walker were regular partners in a week-long engagement, Hines was making a special guest appearance
for this one performance only. And we're certainly glad our
video cameras captured the special moment!
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 Merce Cunningham Dance Company
The very first appearance by Merce Cunningham at Jacob's
Pillow took place in 1955, only a couple of years after his
company was founded. One of the works presented was the surprisingly jaunty Banjo, set to Gottschalk's piano music.
Viewers accustomed to the challenging music scores that Cunningham favored in later years will see and hear a different
style here.
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In Case You Missed It... (Still more diversions in Dance Interactive - click text to view)
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Virtual Pillow Views represents the monthly culmination of many hours of research, curatorial selection, video editing, and writing. If you enjoy this publication, please consider making a donation to help us continue sharing the latest additions to Dance Interactive with you. 
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Header Photo Credits (left to right): Ted Shawn, photo Shapiro Studios; Drew Jacoby, photo Liza Voll; Cynthia Gregory, photo ŠJack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos; Savion Glover, photo Len Irish; Shantala Shivalingappa, photo C.P. Satyajit
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