Virtual Pillow Views: January

January 2013

Greetings!

The start of a new year brings the promise of first-time experiences, and this is the theme for the latest additions to Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive. Each company or artist represented below is seen here in their initial Pillow engagement. And whether that debut occurred in the most recent season or more than a half-century ago, they all bear witness to the excitement of a first-time artistic encounter.

Our New Year's wish for you is that the months ahead will be full of dance, both live and online!

Norton Owen
Director of Preservation
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Newest Additions

The Hong Kong Ballet

One of the largest contingents of performers ever to appear on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage, the 26 dancers seen here brought down the house in this closing work of Hong Kong Ballet's debut engagement. This also marks the first work by Nils Christe in Dance Interactive, though it has been more than 25 years since his choreography was first presented at the Pillow by Soloists of the Royal Danish Ballet.

Luna Negra Dance Theater

During the very same week when Hong Kong Ballet made its first Pillow appearance, we also hosted the first visit from Chicago's Luna Negra. Company director Gustavo Ramirez Sansano returns in 2013 as a guest choreographer for The School at Jacob's Pillow Contemporary Program. But meanwhile, this minute from Fernando Melo's Bate offers a fascinating look at the opening work on the company's debut program.

Jodi Melnick

Although she has been one of the New York dance scene's most compelling dancer-choreographers for more than 20 years, the chance to see Jodi Melnick at Jacob's Pillow emerged only in 2011 when she shared a program with David Neumann. A New York Times critic called Melnick's Fanfare "one of the most satisfying dances I've seen in a while" and we have chosen a mesmerizing minute to showcase here.

More Company Debuts

3e étage

Just announced to return as part of Festival 2013, this contingent from the pre-eminent Paris Opera Ballet brought audiences to their feet during their U.S. debut at the Pillow in 2011. An excerpt from a work called Quatre might seem to indicate that four dancers would be involved, though an injury on the day of this performance necessitated restaging the work for three of the company's outstanding male soloists instead.

Jessica Lang Dance
Another company set to return soon is one that only last year made its official company debut at the Pillow. After creating work for leading companies worldwide, Jessica Lang has now formed a permanent ensemble. This moment from Lang's Lines Cubed bears a striking resemblance to the paintings of Piet Mondrian - if only a painting could dance!

National Ballet of Canada

Now one of North America's oldest and largest companies, it's hard to now imagine it as a somewhat scrappy young ensemble who made its first U.S. appearance at the Pillow in 1953. The great ballet choreographer Antony Tudor was on faculty at the Pillow that summer, thereby allowing him to personally supervise performances of his classic Lilac Garden, a choice moment of which is seen here in an extremely rare film.

José Limón

There's always a first time, even for such an iconic artist as José Limón. And this is it - his very first appearance at Jacob's Pillow from 1946. His company was brand-new, and the Doris Humphrey dance excerpted in this clip had only premiered two weeks before it was filmed here. There's no mistaking his powerful performance style, even at this formative stage in his career. It's also a treat to see the remarkably unchanged Tea Garden platform in this priceless footage.

In Case You Missed It... (still more artists in their very first Pillow appearances)

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.

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