PillowVoices: Dance Through Time
Jacob's Pillow Archives
PillowVoices: Dance Through Time brings listeners closer to notable dance artists connected with Jacob's Pillow, from 1933 to today. Each piece exemplifies Jacob's Pillow's mission to 'support dance creation, presentation, education, and preservation; and to engage and deepen public appreciation and support for dance' by utilizing archival recordings brought to life in the personal stories and narration of current thought-leaders and scholars. Jacob's Pillow, lauded by The New York Times as "the dance center of the nation," is a National Historic Landmark, a recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts, and home to America’s longest-running international dance festival, located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.
PillowVoices is directed by Jennifer Edwards and produced by Lisa Niedermeyer. Rahsaan Cruz provides audio design and engineering. Research and Transcription by Arushi Singh. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.
PillowVoices is directed by Jennifer Edwards and produced by Lisa Niedermeyer. Rahsaan Cruz provides audio design and engineering. Research and Transcription by Arushi Singh. Music for the opening is by J.S. Bach and the closing theme is by Jess Meeker, both performed by Meeker. Content curator is Norton Owen, and associate curator is Patsy Gay.
Episodes
Mentioned books
May 20, 2023 • 34min
Dramaturgy at Jacob’s Pillow
Poet and dance writer Karen Hildebrand hosts this two-part podcast, focusing on dramaturgy and dance. In this second part, Hildebrand explores how dramaturgs have worked with choreographers at the Pillow, focusing on works by Bebe Miller, Jane Comfort, and Rennie Harris. Hildebrand is the former editorial director for Dance Magazine, and a past editor in chief of Dance Teacher magazine.
Apr 29, 2023 • 16min
What is Dramaturgy in Dance?
This podcast explores the role of dramaturgy in dance, focusing on the responsibilities of a dramaturg and their impact on productions. It discusses the importance of coherence and the outside eye in choreography, as well as the collaboration between choreographers and sound designers. The dynamic between the dramaturg and the person in charge is explored, along with the influence of dramaturgy on performances. The podcast also delves into how choreographers' familiarity with the dance field impacts decision-making, and showcases three different works that highlight the role of dramaturgy in dance.
Apr 1, 2023 • 29min
Black Joy & Milton Myers with Dr. Iquail Shaheed
Dr. Iquail Shaheed offers a personal reflection on the life, work, and profound impact of his teacher and mentor, Milton Myers. Shaheed frames this exploration with thinking from his recent doctoral dissertation on Myers, a mainstay of The School at Jacob’s Pillow since 1985.
Feb 25, 2023 • 42min
'Studio/Theater' at MoMA with Yve Laris Cohen
Visual artist Yve Laris Cohen reflects on his exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art entitled 'Studio/Theater' with Jacob's Pillow Director of Preservation Norton Owen. The exhibition featured remnants of the Pillow's Doris Duke Theatre, which was destroyed by fire in November 2020. This is a sequel to Episode 44 with MoMA curator Martha Joseph and former Pillow Director Liz Thompson.
Jan 28, 2023 • 34min
Dance and Belonging with Crystal U. Davis
Crystal U. Davis, dancer, movement analyst, scholar, and author of Dance and Belonging: Implicit Bias and Inclusion in Dance Education, unpacks implicit and explicit bias as it relates to the relationship between audiences, dance-makers, and styles of dance.
Dec 17, 2022 • 29min
Yve Laris Cohen's 'Studio/Theater'
The remains of the Pillow's Doris Duke Theatre were memorialized in an exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art by visual artist Yve Laris Cohen. In conversation are exhibition curator Martha Joseph and two participants in related performance events, former Pillow Director Liz Thompson and Preservation Director Norton Owen.
Nov 26, 2022 • 26min
Artistic Directorship: Lourdes Lopez with Theresa Ruth Howard
In this episode, we join Pillow Scholar Theresa Ruth Howard in conversation with Lourdes Lopez on the occasion of her tenth anniversary as artistic director of Miami City Ballet.The entire talk can be experienced here: PillowTalk: Celebrating Lourdes Lopez *This episode was produced by Lisa Niedermeyer.
Oct 29, 2022 • 18min
The ‘Secret’ Gay History of Jacob’s Pillow
Hosted by Brian Schaefer, this episode is an exploration of how gay history is intertwined with the Pillow’s very beginnings, often hiding in plain sight.Related episodes of PillowVoices:https://pillowvoices.org/episodes/barton-mumaw-a-cornerstone-of-the-pillowhttps://pillowvoices.org/episodes/ted-shawn-jacobs-pillow-founder-in-his-own-words*This episode was produced by Lisa Niedermeyer.
Sep 24, 2022 • 40min
The Legacy of Katherine Dunham
A recording of a conversation that took place in 2002, moderated by Reginald Yates. We hear the voices of Donald McKayle, Cleo Parker Robinson, and Julie Belafonte in addition to insights and reflections from Katherine Dunham herself.
Aug 27, 2022 • 37min
Disrupting Complacency with Jane Comfort
Dance scholar Cynthia Williams guides a deep dive into two different political works made by choreographer Jane Comfort in the 1990s, revealing the striking connections to American social injustices escalating today.*This episode was directed by Lisa Niedermeyer.
